Comparative Studies of Acute Respiratory Acidosis Complicated with or without Hypoxia

Comparative studies of acute respiratory acidosis complicated with and without hypoxia have been made. Acute respiratory acidosis complicated with hypoxia were induced hy placing rabbits for four to six hours into the air-tight chamber which has fifty liter capacity. And acute respiratory acidosis which was not complicated with hypoxia were induced leaving rabbits for three to six hours into the chamber filled with 5% CO2-02 gas mixture. The following data were obtained 1. As animal rebreathes with a certain volume of air in the chamber , along with the time being , partial pressure of oxygen decreased and partial pressure of carbon dioxide increased. However, rabbits, in spite of suffering from moderate respiratory acidosis, were not always complicated with hypoxia by severe hyperventilation 2. As partial pressure of carbon dioxide of the arterial blood increased with normal partial pressure of oxygen, plasma bicarbonate increased steadily. However, with hypoxemia , plasma bicarbonate did not increase with the rise of carbon dioxide tension as much as to be expected. This might suggest that there was some extra acid production and/or renal failure of bicarbonate reabsorption Diκerences of acid-base pattern between them were clearly demonstrated in pH-HCO.- diagram. With hypoxia the slopes of blood buffer curve were much less steep than the cases of without hypoxia. Above results suggest that when severe respiratroy acidosis is complicated with hypoxia , oxygen supply will improve the case and eliminate the metabolic component of acid-base disturbance