Continuous measurement of blood gases in vivo by mass spectrometry.

Continuous analysis of oxygen and carbon dioxide tension in the blood phase, over periods of 4-5 h, was carried out in the pulmonary artery (93 determinations in six anesthetized dogs) and in the aorta (29 determinations in four anaesthetized dogs). Silastic-covered stainless steel catheters attached to a mass spectrometer were used. The mass spectrometer signals were linearly related to the blood-gas tensions measured by conventional analysis. The mass spectrometer signals were calibrated in vivo by exposing the animals to high and low oxygen and carbon dioxide tension. With such in vivo calibration the slopes of the straight line regressions for mass spectrometer PO2 or PCO2 on PO2 or PCO2 by conventional analysis were comprised between 0.944 and 1.031 while the standard error of the slopes were between 0.019 and 0.031. Deliberate reductions of cardiac output had little effect on the mass spectrometer readings.