[Acid-base homeostasis in anesthesiology and operative intensive care medicine. Physiology, pathophysiology and clinical aspects of acidoses].

Basic and clinical aspects of acid-base physiology and acidoses are reviewed in this paper. Therapeutic principles on the treatment of metabolic and respiratory acidosis are discussed in detail. As far as buffer substances are necessary for antiacidotic therapy, sodium bicarbonate seems to be the agent of choice today. Sodium bicarbonate has a better extra- and intracellular effect than THAM, and should therefore be preferred in every day practice.