[Gasometric determination of total CO2 using and adapted syringe]

It seemed to us interesting to study the results supplied by a new apparatus designed for gasometric estimation of total CO2 in biological fluids according to a technique derived from that of Van Slyke. The main qualities observed are: linearity (10 to 40 mM/l); rapidly (20 estimations in 35 minutes), reliability (coefficient of variation 1.6% over 15 estimations), daily reproducibility (2 standard deviations = 2 mM/l), satisfactory correlation with a colorimetric method using orthocresolphtalein adapted to SMA 6/60 (r = 0.90) and with an indirect method leading to total CO2 levels by calculation from pH and pCO2 (r = 0.92). However, this technique is difficult to use in pediatrics for the samples of plasma cannot be less than 0.5 ml.