[Sodium bicarbonate administration in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Results of an animal experimental study]

One minute following electrically induced ventricular fibrillation, 12 anaesthetized pigs (hybrids between German and Belgian pedigree swine of 29 kg average body weight) were resuscitated for 30 min with a mechanical thorax compressor and ventilator. Six animals were given 1 mval sodium bicarbonate per kilogram body weight via a central venous line during the first ten minutes of resuscitation, and then 0.5 mval/kg body weight during both of the remaining ten minute intervals. The remaining 6 animals served as control group. In the control group constant volume ventilation led to a fall in the arterial partial pressure of CO2 because perfusion was diminished in relation to ventilation and despite the slowly developing metabolic acidosis this initially led to an increase in pH. At the end of the period of observation an arterial base deficit of 10 mmol/l was measured. Infusion of sodium bicarbonate led to a metabolic alkalosis and to an arterial base excess which at 10 min reached a maximum value of 13.8 mmol/l. In the bicarbonate group serum osmolality rose as a result of the sodium application from 293-334 mosm/l. In contrast, the osmolality of the control group only rose to 309 mosm/l.