Blood Lactate and Pyruvate in Pulmonary Insufficiency

Abstract

RAISED levels of blood lactate have been known to occur with severe experimental hypoxemia for many years^{1 2 3 4} and have been thought to reflect an inadequacy of tissue oxygen supply. Similarly, there is elevation of lactate-pyruvate ratios that may reflect more satisfactorily the reduced tissue redox potential^{3 , 5} resulting from hypoxia. Most of the experimental studies in both animal and man suggest that a severe hypoxemia, with arterial oxygen saturations of 65 to 70 per cent or less and oxygen tensions (pO₂) of 30 to 35 mm. of mercury or less, is necessary to produce the increase in anaerobic metabolism. . . .