[The acid-base status in infants with complete transposition of the great arteries (author's transl)]

In 36 infants with complete transposition of the great arteries aged one day to ten weeks, the acid-base balance was studied before, during, and after heart catheterization. The results indicate the dependency of the acid-base equilibrium on pulmonary function. Infants with only small shunts or with decreased pulmonary blood flow had a metabolic acidosis. Impairment of lung function either by high pulmonary blood flow, pulmonary congestion, or pneumonia caused mixed acidosis. Regulary found after heart catheterization and angiocardiography we found a more severe and mixeden acidosis. The therapeutic implications are briefly discussed.