The Journal of infection
-
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lactate values were measured in 26 children with meningitis (12 bacterial, 9 aseptic, 5 partially treated) and five children with meningococcaemia without meningitis. A reference range (0.5-3.2 mmol/l) was established from 100 control children. Amounts of lactate were significantly raised in bacterial meningitis (mean 6.5, range 4.5-10.2) compared with aseptic meningitis (mean 2.6, range 1.1-4.0) but this finding gave little practical help as the bacterial origin of the meningitis was clear from other CSF findings. ⋯ Unless the CSF lactate is raised, the test is of minimal value in partially treated meningitis (mean 3.4, range 1.4-6.2). The previously unobserved finding of increased CSF lactate in meningococcaemia without meningitis (mean 3.9, range 3.1-5.0) supports the view that raised CSF lactate values in bacterial meningitis are not solely due to the presence of neutrophils. Literature relating to CSF lactate is reviewed.