Sodium Lactate on the Liver

Sodium Lactate on the Liver
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Sodium lactate is an intravenous medicine used in patients in hospital settings who need help with a condition called acidosis. Acidosis means the acid level in your bodily fluids, including your blood, and in the tissues of your body, is too high. The medication also can help people who have overdosed on some types of drugs because it can help remove the problem medication. The use of sodium lactate can affect the function of your body, including your liver.

Sodium Lactate

Your body needs a normal balance of acid and base to function as it should. If acids and bases do not remain in balance, it can cause health problems. If you have suffered serious burns or have undergone medical procedures, your acid levels can become too high. To normalize the balance, your doctor can reduce and balance this acidosis through food and drink unless your condition limits how you eat and drink. If your ability to eat and drink becomes restricted, your doctor may use a sodium lactate solution infused into your body through an intravenous drip to bring about the normal acidic levels.

Liver Function

Your liver helps you digest food, clean your blood and stores energy for later use. This important organ can become damaged through a variety of things including excessive alcohol use and diseases such as hepatitis. Although sodium lactate might not cause adverse effects in a healthy liver, if you have problems with this organ such as cirrhosis or liver disease, the substance can produce some problems.

Specific Problems

Sodium lactate is contraindicated for people who suffer from liver and kidney disease because it can increase the retention of sodium. This can cause swelling or edema. Swelling in your body can cause high blood pressure and lead to cardiovascular problems. Your liver will process the sodium lactate that enters your bloodstream. This can cause a dilution of the blood that hinders the liver processes. This might cause you to experience excessive bleeding.

Solutions

If you have liver disease or problems that you already know about, it is important that you tell your surgeon or physician about them prior to the use of sodium lactate. In most cases, the medical practitioner will choose a different medication for you or increase the dilution of the sodium lactate to make it less potent. This can, with strict monitoring, reduce the risk of the medication causing you medical harm.

References

Article reviewed by DonaldM Last updated on: Nov 20, 2011

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