Effect of peritoneal and gastric irrigation with ozonated saline on arterial and venous blood gas values.

Ozone, a proven in vitro antiseptic agent, has been shown in vivo to reduce infectious morbidity when used as a lavage solution in rodent fecal peritonitis. As concern that absorption of hydroxyl radical byproducts of ozone breakdown might be deleterious to blood buffering capacity, the effects of a 5 minute intragastric or peritoneal lavage with ozonated saline on rodent arterial and venous blood gas values were determined. Compared to values obtained following lavage with oxygenated saline or normal saline, ozonated saline irrigation produced no appreciable alterations in arterial or venous pH, pO2, and pCO2 over a 1 hour observation period. Short-term ozonated saline peritoneal lavage does not appreciably effect rodent blood buffering capacity.