[In vivo detection of the Christiansen-Douglas-Haldane effect in clinical conditions].

The Christiansen-Douglas-Haldane effect, also termed Haldane effect, describes the dependence of CO2 absorption by blood on the degree of hemoglobin oxygenation. Under the physiological condition of an "open" system between blood and alveolus, the arterial partial pressure of CO2 (paCO2; mmHg) must range below the mixed-venous (pvCO2; mmHg) value. During the nonphysiological situation of a "closed" system, e.g. hyperoxic apnea after adequate pre-oxygenation (O2 uptake with lack of CO2 delivery), paCO2 can assimilate to pvCO2 and even exceed it. The remainder has often been termed a "paradoxical phenomenon". It was the aim of this study to prove the Haldane effect in vivo in the "closed" system of hyperoxic apnea. Eighty patients (ASA II-IV, NYHA II-III) scheduled for coronary surgery gave written informed consent and were examined. Following the preparations for induction (venous and arterial cannulas, pulmonary artery catheter), they were pre-oxygenated with 6 l O2/min until induction of anesthesia was achieved. Pre-oxygenation was maintained actively/passively until intubation. At the onset and the end of intubation the arterial (a) and mixed-venous (v) blood gas status (pHa, pHv, saO2 and svO2 (%), paO2 and pvO2, paCO2 and pvCO2 were determined using the Corning 170 pH/blood gas analyzer and the Corning 2500 CO-oximeter. Statistical analysis of the data was based on Student's t-test for paired samples. Periods of apnoea ranged between 60 and 180 s. The data were allocated to three groups, depending on the duration of apnea: Group I: 60-100 s; Group II: 101-140 s; Group III: 141-180 s.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)