Clinical Performance and Utility of Point-of-Care Lactate Technology in Patient Care Pathways

Abstract Lactate is a commonly evaluated analyte in acutely ill patients. It is used as a prognostic, diagnostic, and monitoring tool in a variety of clinical conditions including sepsis, trauma, infectious diseases, and perinatal conditions. Elevated lactate levels, above specific thresholds for each condition, are considered critical values necessitating intervention. In certain of these cases, a fast lactate result by point-of-care (POC) devices is crucial in assisting with the medical management of the underlying condition. It is becoming increasingly evident that POC technologies are part of the transformation that is being observed in health care. Rapid results of certain analytes at the point of care enable clinicians to make immediate treatment decisions without having to wait for results from centralized laboratories. Lactate, as a critical marker, is a perfect candidate for POC testing and has been utilized as such in a variety of clinical settings, including prehospital and emergency medical services, emergency departments, and intensive care units. The StatStrip Lactate Hospital Meter System (Nova Biomedical, Waltham, Mass) is a POC device that combines a precalibrated, single-test biosensor with a handheld meter. It has been used extensively in various clinical settings to aid in the early identification of elevated lactate levels. StatStrip Lactate utilizes whole-blood measurement technology to provide a lactate result that is equivalent to central laboratory plasma lactate testing. Its rapid results have been demonstrated as useful in a number of studies. This mini review will present the clinical pathways in which lactate is used and describe the clinical utility of StatStrip Lactate in these pathways.