Lactic Acid Test

You are having the lactic acid test to determine how much oxygen your body tissues are receiving. Normally, when oxygen supply is sufficient, your body uses glucose for energy, breaking it down into carbon dioxide and water. However, when oxygen supply is decreased, lactic acid is produced instead. Increased lactate levels can indicate a reduced ability to get oxygen to your cells, known as tissue hypoxia. The test may be performed if you have or recently had conditions such as seizures, low blood pressure with poor blood supply to organs (shock), sepsis, or a blocked blood vessel. It may also be used to monitor treatment for these conditions or others that cause tissue hypoxia.

The test measures the amount of lactic acid in your blood, and the sample is obtained by drawing blood from a vein.

Your test results will be reported as values, and your healthcare provider will compare them to normal reference ranges. Abnormally high lactate levels can indicate various health conditions, including recent or current shock, seizure, tissue hypoxia, lack of blood supply to cells (tissue ischemia), carbon monoxide poisoning, severe liver or kidney disease, genetic conditions affecting glucose metabolism, complications of diabetes mellitus, severe infection (sepsis), use of certain medicines (such as aspirin or metformin), and exposure to toxins (like cyanide and methanol).

It’s important to discuss your results with your healthcare provider to understand their significance and determine appropriate next steps or treatment options.

Remember that this information is not meant to replace advice given by your healthcare provider, so make sure to address any questions or concerns you have with them.