Hyperlactatemia in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury treated with renal replacement therapy in the intensive care unit

Abstract Background Hyperlactatemia is common in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The aim of our retrospective observational study was to analyse the impact of serum lactate on admission on mortality in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) treated with renal replacement therapy (RRT). Methods...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Robert Ekart, Barbara Kobal, Tea Korošec, Eva Jakopin, Franc Svenšek, Nejc Piko, Sebastjan Bevc, Radovan Hojs
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-04-01
Series:BMC Nephrology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12882-025-04149-5
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850042965908520960
author Robert Ekart
Barbara Kobal
Tea Korošec
Eva Jakopin
Franc Svenšek
Nejc Piko
Sebastjan Bevc
Radovan Hojs
author_facet Robert Ekart
Barbara Kobal
Tea Korošec
Eva Jakopin
Franc Svenšek
Nejc Piko
Sebastjan Bevc
Radovan Hojs
author_sort Robert Ekart
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Hyperlactatemia is common in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The aim of our retrospective observational study was to analyse the impact of serum lactate on admission on mortality in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) treated with renal replacement therapy (RRT). Methods During the study period of 4 years, 2939 patients were admitted to the ICU, 503 patients were diagnosed with AKI and 209 of them required RRT. After excluding patients on chronic dialysis and with known malignant disease, we retrospectively analysed 154 patients. Hyperlactatemia was defined as a serum lactate concentration above 4 mmol/L on admission to the ICU. Results The mean age of patients was 62.8 years, and 69.5% were men. The mean Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) on admission to the ICU was 3.7 and fifty-six (36.4%) patients had acute hyperlactatemia. All included patients had AKI stage 3 and were treated with RRT, 125 (81.2%) with continuous RRT and 29 (18.8%) with intermittent hemodialysis. The mean length of stay in the ICU was 15.7 ± 13 days and 118 (76.6%) patients died during the 60-day observation period. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the survival rate was statistically significantly lower in the group of patients with hyperlactatemia (log-rank; p = 0.032). The univariate Cox regression analysis showed that serum lactate on admission to the ICU significantly predict 60-day survival (HR 1.075; 95%CI 1.015–1.140; p = 0.014). In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, which included age, gender, diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, estimated glomerular filtration rate, serum lactate, CCI and C-reactive protein, only age (HR 1.031; 95%CI 1.007–1.056; p = 0.011) and serum lactate (HR 1.067; 95%CI 1.004–1.134; p = 0.035) were independent predictors of mortality. Conclusion Our study underscores the independent association between hyperlactatemia of more than 4 mmol/L on admission to the ICU and increased 60-day mortality in patients with AKI treated with RRT. These findings, which have significant implications for the management and prognosis of critically ill patients with AKI, provide a new understanding of the role of serum lactate in patient outcomes. Trial registration Name of the registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; Trial registration number: NCT06565403; Date of registration, followed by the words 'Retrospectively registered': August, 19,2024; URL of trial registry record: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06565403.
format Article
id doaj-art-8b9c1d169ea44e4eb2bda5d1909116ee
institution DOAJ
issn 1471-2369
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series BMC Nephrology
spelling doaj-art-8b9c1d169ea44e4eb2bda5d1909116ee2025-08-20T02:55:21ZengBMCBMC Nephrology1471-23692025-04-0126111010.1186/s12882-025-04149-5Hyperlactatemia in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury treated with renal replacement therapy in the intensive care unitRobert Ekart0Barbara Kobal1Tea Korošec2Eva Jakopin3Franc Svenšek4Nejc Piko5Sebastjan Bevc6Radovan Hojs7Department of Dialysis, Clinic for Internal Medicine, University Medical Centre MariborMedical Faculty, University of MariborMedical Faculty, University of MariborDepartment of Nephrology, Clinic for Internal Medicine, University Medical Centre MariborDepartment of Intensive Internal Medicine, Clinic for Internal Medicine, University Medical Centre MariborDepartment of Dialysis, Clinic for Internal Medicine, University Medical Centre MariborMedical Faculty, University of MariborMedical Faculty, University of MariborAbstract Background Hyperlactatemia is common in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The aim of our retrospective observational study was to analyse the impact of serum lactate on admission on mortality in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) treated with renal replacement therapy (RRT). Methods During the study period of 4 years, 2939 patients were admitted to the ICU, 503 patients were diagnosed with AKI and 209 of them required RRT. After excluding patients on chronic dialysis and with known malignant disease, we retrospectively analysed 154 patients. Hyperlactatemia was defined as a serum lactate concentration above 4 mmol/L on admission to the ICU. Results The mean age of patients was 62.8 years, and 69.5% were men. The mean Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) on admission to the ICU was 3.7 and fifty-six (36.4%) patients had acute hyperlactatemia. All included patients had AKI stage 3 and were treated with RRT, 125 (81.2%) with continuous RRT and 29 (18.8%) with intermittent hemodialysis. The mean length of stay in the ICU was 15.7 ± 13 days and 118 (76.6%) patients died during the 60-day observation period. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the survival rate was statistically significantly lower in the group of patients with hyperlactatemia (log-rank; p = 0.032). The univariate Cox regression analysis showed that serum lactate on admission to the ICU significantly predict 60-day survival (HR 1.075; 95%CI 1.015–1.140; p = 0.014). In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, which included age, gender, diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, estimated glomerular filtration rate, serum lactate, CCI and C-reactive protein, only age (HR 1.031; 95%CI 1.007–1.056; p = 0.011) and serum lactate (HR 1.067; 95%CI 1.004–1.134; p = 0.035) were independent predictors of mortality. Conclusion Our study underscores the independent association between hyperlactatemia of more than 4 mmol/L on admission to the ICU and increased 60-day mortality in patients with AKI treated with RRT. These findings, which have significant implications for the management and prognosis of critically ill patients with AKI, provide a new understanding of the role of serum lactate in patient outcomes. Trial registration Name of the registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; Trial registration number: NCT06565403; Date of registration, followed by the words 'Retrospectively registered': August, 19,2024; URL of trial registry record: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06565403.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12882-025-04149-5Acute kidney injuryLactateAcidosisSurvival
spellingShingle Robert Ekart
Barbara Kobal
Tea Korošec
Eva Jakopin
Franc Svenšek
Nejc Piko
Sebastjan Bevc
Radovan Hojs
Hyperlactatemia in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury treated with renal replacement therapy in the intensive care unit
BMC Nephrology
Acute kidney injury
Lactate
Acidosis
Survival
title Hyperlactatemia in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury treated with renal replacement therapy in the intensive care unit
title_full Hyperlactatemia in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury treated with renal replacement therapy in the intensive care unit
title_fullStr Hyperlactatemia in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury treated with renal replacement therapy in the intensive care unit
title_full_unstemmed Hyperlactatemia in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury treated with renal replacement therapy in the intensive care unit
title_short Hyperlactatemia in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury treated with renal replacement therapy in the intensive care unit
title_sort hyperlactatemia in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury treated with renal replacement therapy in the intensive care unit
topic Acute kidney injury
Lactate
Acidosis
Survival
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12882-025-04149-5
work_keys_str_mv AT robertekart hyperlactatemiaincriticallyillpatientswithacutekidneyinjurytreatedwithrenalreplacementtherapyintheintensivecareunit
AT barbarakobal hyperlactatemiaincriticallyillpatientswithacutekidneyinjurytreatedwithrenalreplacementtherapyintheintensivecareunit
AT teakorosec hyperlactatemiaincriticallyillpatientswithacutekidneyinjurytreatedwithrenalreplacementtherapyintheintensivecareunit
AT evajakopin hyperlactatemiaincriticallyillpatientswithacutekidneyinjurytreatedwithrenalreplacementtherapyintheintensivecareunit
AT francsvensek hyperlactatemiaincriticallyillpatientswithacutekidneyinjurytreatedwithrenalreplacementtherapyintheintensivecareunit
AT nejcpiko hyperlactatemiaincriticallyillpatientswithacutekidneyinjurytreatedwithrenalreplacementtherapyintheintensivecareunit
AT sebastjanbevc hyperlactatemiaincriticallyillpatientswithacutekidneyinjurytreatedwithrenalreplacementtherapyintheintensivecareunit
AT radovanhojs hyperlactatemiaincriticallyillpatientswithacutekidneyinjurytreatedwithrenalreplacementtherapyintheintensivecareunit