Lactate in the emergency department: a case-based critical reflection
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Lactate in the emergency department: a case-based critical reflection

Rob Fenwick Advanced clinical practitioner, Emergency department, Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham

Serum lactate levels are frequently measured in patients with undifferentiated conditions in emergency departments. This article uses a case-based reflection to critically analyse the role of lactate measurement in these patients. It examines the rationale for testing, and the potential causes of raised levels, to remind clinicians that this diagnostic intervention must be taken in the context of patients' clinical presentations and not in isolation.

Emergency Nurse. 24, 5, 25-29. doi: 10.7748/en.2016.e1589

Correspondence

robfenwickrn@googlemail.com

Peer review

All articles are subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Conflict of interest

None declared

Received: 28 April 2016

Accepted: 19 July 2016

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