Figure 1From: Lactate versus non-lactate metabolic acidosis: a retrospective outcome evaluation of critically ill patientsMortality associated with the major ion contributing to the metabolic acidosis. Hospital mortality associated with the various etiologies of metabolic acidosis (standard base excess (SBE) < -2). Mortality percentage is mortality within each subgroup, not a percentage of overall mortality. 'Lactate' indicates that lactate contributes to at least 50% of the SBE; 'SIG', SIG contributes to at least 50% of SBE (and not lactate); 'hyperchloremic', absence of lactate or SIG acidosis and SBE < -2; 'none', no metabolic acidosis (SBE ≥ -2 mEq/l). SIG, strong ion gap. p < 0.001 for the four-group comparison.Back to article page