D.J. Cooper 1, K.R. Walley, P.M. Dodek, E Rosenberg and J.A. Russell
1Program of Critical Care Medicine, St. Paul’s Hospital and University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, Canada V6ZIY6
Received: 31 May 1991; accepted: 5 February 1992

Abstract.

Plasma ionized calcium [Ca § ] concentrations are decreased in patients having lactic acidosis. To further investigate this observation, we prospectively studied nine critically ill patients who had lactic acidosis
and measured arterial pH, PCO2, [Ca+§ lactate, and albumin concentrations. We found a strong association between decreased [Ca ++ ] and increased plasma lactate concentrations (r 2= 0.78, p_<0.001). This unexpected association – [Ca + § usually increases with increasing acidosis – might be clinically important and the mechanism deserves further investigation.