Serum Lactate as a Predictor of Mortality in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
Keywords:
serum lactate, pediatric intensive care, mortality, hyperlactatemia, lactate clearance, prognosisAbstract
Serum lactate is widely used as a biomarker in the assessment of critically ill pediatric patients. Elevated levels are associated with tissue hypoperfusion, metabolic dysfunction, and increased disease severity.
Objective: To analyze scientific evidence published between 2021 and 2025 regarding the role of serum lactate as a predictor of mortality in patients admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted using structured searches in biomedical databases. Studies involving critically ill and mortality in the PICU were included according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Results: Recent evidence indicates that elevated admission lactate levels, persistent hyperlactatemia, and inadequate lactate clearance are independently associated with increased mortality in the PICU. Serial lactate monitoring provides greater prognostic value than a single measurement, particularly in pediatric sepsis, shock, severe trauma, and postoperative cardiac surgery.
Conclusions: Serum lactate is a robust predictor of mortality in the PICU. Initial measurement and dynamic monitoring allow early risk stratification and assessment of therapeutic response in critically ill children.
