Comparison of Lactic Acid Levels in Children with Suspected and Confirmed Intussusception

Publication date: December 2017
Source:The Journal of Emergency Medicine, Volume 53, Issue 6
Author(s): Vanessa Tamas, Paul Ishimine
BackgroundCurrently, no laboratory test can identify children with intussusception. Lactic acid is a marker of ischemia in gastrointestinal emergencies.ObjectivesWe present a case series comparing lactic acid levels in children with suspected and confirmed intussusception.MethodsThis is a prospective single case series of 39 patients who had suspected intussusception. Patients were eligible if they underwent abdominal ultrasound screening for suspected intussusception. Blood collected at the time of peripheral intravenous line placement was analyzed for lactic acid levels before ultrasound.ResultsThirty-nine patients were enrolled; 16 were diagnosed with intussusception. Mean (± standard deviation) lactic acid levels were not significantly different between children with suspected (1.7 ± 0.69 mmol/L) and confirmed intussusception (1.93 ± 1.13 mmol/L).ConclusionsLactic acid levels cannot identify children with intussusception.



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