Changes in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid electrolytes in hypercapnia

A study on two groups of patients in acute respiratory failure with hypercapnia (18 subjects) and in hypercapnic coma (18 subjects) has been carried out to determine the related changes in sodium ion, potassium ion, chloride ion, urea and osmolality in blood and cerebrospinal fluid. There were significant differences between the two pathological states and particularly in coma, changes in transmembrane active transport of electrolytes are significantly related to high concentrations of CO2 in the brain.