“…42 The cause for postcardiopulmonary bypass lactic acidosis remains unclear, with a number of contributing etiologies that include tissue hypoxia, hyperglycemia, exposure to catecholamines, cardiopulmonary bypass, and mitochondrial dysfunction. [43][44][45] Elevated lactate levels have been previously associated with changes in microcirculatory function, although this cohort appeared to have lactate levels that were much higher than those in previous studies, 3,8,46 Lactate levels were inversely related to PVD, with the highest lactate levels found in patients with the most significantly impaired capillary blood flow (Fig 4). While this study did not allow for a causal relationship to be made, perfusion impairments can clearly result in hypoxic hyperlactatemia.…”