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Does reduced oxygen delivery cause lactic acidosis in falciparum malaria? An observational study

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Lactic acidosis with an elevated lactate-pyruvate ratio suggesting anoxia is a common feature of severe falciparum malaria. High lactate levels are associated with parasitized erythrocyte sequestration in the microcirculation. To assess if there is an additional contribution to hyperlactataemia from relatively inadequate total oxygen delivery, oxygen consumption and delivery were investigated in patients with malaria.

METHODS: Adult Bangladeshi and Indian patients with uncomplicated (N = 50) or severe (N = 46) falciparum malaria or suspected bacterial sepsis (N = 27) and healthy participants as controls (N = 26) were recruited at Chittagong Medical College Hospital, Chittagong, Bangladesh and Ispat General Hospital, Rourkela, India. Oxygen delivery (DO2I) was estimated from pulse oximetry, echocardiographic estimates of cardiac index and haematocrit. Oxygen consumption (VO2I) was estimated by expired gas collection.

RESULTS: VO2I was elevated in uncomplicated median (IQR) 185.1 ml/min/m2 (135-215.9) and severe malaria 192 ml/min/m2 (140.7-227.9) relative to healthy persons 107.9 ml/min/m2 (69.9-138.1) (both p < 0.001). Median DO2I was similar in uncomplicated 515 ml/min/m2 (432-612) and severe 487 ml/min/m2 (382-601) malaria and healthy persons 503 ml/min/m2 (447-517) (p = 0.27 and 0.89, respectively). The VO2/DO2 ratio was, therefore, increased by similar amounts in both uncomplicated 0.35 (0.28-0.44) and severe malaria 0.38 (0.29-0.48) relative to healthy participants 0.23 (0.17-0.28) (both p < 0.001). VO2I, DO2I and VO2/DO2 did not correlate with plasma lactate concentrations in severe malaria.

CONCLUSIONS: Reduced total oxygen delivery is not a major contributor to lactic acidosis in severe falciparum malaria.

Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1186/s12936-019-2733-y

Authors


More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
Medical Sciences Division
Department:
NDM
Sub department:
Tropical Medicine
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0003-1869-8307
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
Medical Sciences Division
Department:
NDM
Sub department:
Tropical Medicine
Role:
Author
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
Medical Sciences Division
Department:
NDM
Sub department:
Tropical Medicine
Role:
Author


Publisher:
Biomed Central
Journal:
Malaria journal More from this journal
Volume:
18
Issue:
1
Article number:
97
Publication date:
2019-03-25
Acceptance date:
2019-03-18
DOI:
ISSN:
1475-2875
Pmid:
30909915


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
pubs:991690
UUID:
uuid:6eb04e29-34ed-435e-8a3b-65ad72551207
Local pid:
pubs:991690
Source identifiers:
991690
Deposit date:
2019-04-18

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