The article we analyse today was written by Mark J Acierno, Meghan E Johnson, Lee Ann Eddleman and Mark A Mitchell, and published in 2008 by Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (10, 110e114 doi:10.1016/j.jfms.2007.07.002).

There are several studies which have demonstrated the prognostic value of measuring blood lactate levels in humans and dogs, but its use in cats has not been demonstrated yet. In some human conditions, the measurement of blood lactate has proven to have prognostic as well as diagnostic value. In veterinary medicine, blood lactate levels have proven to be prognostic in several canine disease conditions.

The inability to measure blood lactate concentration in a timely fashion using minimal amounts of blood has prevented widespread utilization of this important blood parameter in cats.

Acierno et al. evaluated 50 cats using four hand-held blood lactate analysers: Lactate Pro (now replaced  by the Lactate Pro 2), Lactate Scout, Accutrend and iSTAT. The data obtained from feline blood on these 4 analysers was compared with a laboratory blood analyzer (Stat Profile Critical Care Xpress).

All 4 analysers demonstrated a good agreement with the laboratory analyser, being the Accutrend the one that showed the least agreement of all hand-held blood lactate analysers. Surprisingly, a previous study carried out by Medbo et al in 2000 regarding human medicine, found the Accutrend to show the lowest degree of agreement with a laboratory analyser.

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