Journal article
Lactate as a predictor of mortality in Malawian children with WHO-defined pneumonia
B Ramakrishna, SM Graham, A Phiri, L Mankhambo, T Duke
Archives of Disease in Childhood | BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP | Published : 2012
Abstract
Objectives: To determine whether blood lactate measured at the time of presentation to hospital predicted outcome in children with pneumonia in Malawi, and to understand the factors associated with high blood lactate concentrations in pneumonia. Design: Analysis of data from a prospective study of children presenting to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, with WHO-defi ned severe or very severe pneumonia. Results: Among 233 children with pneumonia, the median serum lactate concentration was 2.7 mmol/l (IQR 1.8-4.4 mmol/l). 77 children (33%) had a lactate concentration of 2.1-4.0 mmol/l, and 72 children (31%) had a lactate concentration >4.0 mmol/l. 92% of children who died (23/25) ha..
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Funding Acknowledgements
The authors thank the staff of the paediatric research ward at QECH, Blantyre, Malawi, the children involved in the study and their guardians. They also thank Professor Terrie Taylor and the Blantyre Malaria Project for providing lactate measurements. For this study, SMG was recipient of core funding from the Wellcome Trust, UK. The Centre for International Child Health is a WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Child and Neonatal Health, and is supported by AusAID as part of the Knowledge Hubs for Women's and Children's Health, and by the R E Ross Trust (Victoria).