The Blood Gas Content and Alkalinity of the Arterial Blood of Rabbits during Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Abstract

In the present investigations the hydrogen ion concentration in blood was determined by means of the chinhydron electrode and gasanalytic method as well. In the former, too, the measurement was conducted at the body temperature of the rabbit at the moment of taking the blood sample. Rabbits were poisoned by injecting CO gas subcutaneously in a dose of 420-700 c. c. The gases in the blood, CO2, O2and CO, the CO2capacity and thepH of blood were simultaneously determined for the blood samples taken from time to time. The chief results may be stated as follows: The CO injection resulted in a fluctuation in the bloodpH, but the direction of fluctuation was variable; that is, in some cases alkalosis occurred, and lasted or progressed for several hours or turned towards acidosis after a lapse of a few hours, and in the other cases acidosis only resulted. The arterial CO2 decreased on the CO injection, and in the cases of severe acidosis it was rapid and remarkable. In the majority of cases an acceleration occurred in the rate of respiration on injecting CO, but only for a short interval of time, and in the other cases no acceleration took place. And in the cases of severe acidosis, where the arterial CO2 was excessively lost, no hyperventilation occurred or else the volume of ventilation was considerably depressed. It may be noted further that in the cases of acidosis urination occurred only seldom, contrary to those of alkalosis. A dministration of NaHCO3 to the animal under the influence of CO gas acted to increase the arterial CO2 and pH for a while, and was beneficial to the life of the animals.