Diagnostics
Due to the unspecific symptoms, a lactate acidosis can only be confirmed by a laboratory examination. One speaks of a lactic acidosis if the pH value is below 7.36 and at the same time the lactate concentration is increased above 5 mmol/l. If only the pH-value is lowered and the lactate concentration is as far as possible in the physiological range, it is a metabolic acidosis.
As a rule, treatment of lactic acidosis takes place in the intensive care unit of a hospital. There the patient can be monitored around the clock and the circulation stabilized. To reduce the high acid concentration in the body, the antidote “bicarbonate” is often administered.
However, it is also possible to take measures to prevent lactate acidosis. When administering medication, one should always clarify whether the kidney and liver are functioning properly and whether the medication can potentially cause lactic acidosis.With the slightest organic limitations of the kidney and liver, a lactic acidosis can occur as a side effect when taking medication. The body has a built-in protective function that takes effect when the lactate concentration exceeds a certain level.
In such a case the body starts to increase respiration in order to lower the lactate concentration in the blood by exhaling carbon dioxide. For the therapy of a lactic acidosis to be effective, the provoking cause must be eliminated. At the beginning of the therapy, the circulation is first stabilized by means of measures that are usually performed in intensive care medicine.
The administration of alkaline/alkaline bicarbonate is used, which can neutralize the acidosis. The production of lactic acid must also be slowed down or stopped so that the body can break down the accumulated lactate. However, bicarbonate should be used with caution, as it may also worsen existing acidosis.
If the acidosis is caused by the administration of metformin, the therapy will be stopped immediately. Other ways of treating lactic acidosis include injecting certain fluids that help to improve the oxygen supply and thus counteract the production of lactate, and oxygen therapy to ensure that the body gets enough oxygen again. In the context of a diabetic derailment, for example, insulin is injected to lower the blood sugar level again.
In addition, vitamin therapies or dialysis treatments can be performed to cleanse the blood of acid. If the cause of lactic acidosis is an irreversibly damaged liver, it can only be treated by a liver transplant. If lactate acidosis is not treated, serious health problems can occur and possibly remain. In order to avoid and prevent life-threatening situations, a doctor should be consulted directly in the case of the above-mentioned signs and the lactic acidosis should be treated. Failure to seek treatment can lead to cardiac arrhythmia, a drop in athletic performance, shocks, infectious diseases or unconsciousness, even coma.
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