Changes in the brain surface pH and cisternal cerebrospinal fluid acid-base variables in respiratory arrest

Using flat-surface pH electrodes we continuously measured changes in the brain surface pH during respiratory arrest in anesthetized and paralyzed dogs which were previously ventilated with pure oxygen. Respiratory arrest was induced by halting the respirator. The mean arterial PO2 fell from 502.7 +/- 15.9 (1 SD) to 23.7 +/- 18.5, and the mean arterial PCO2 rose from 36.4 +/- 3.5 to 80.4 +/- 7.1 mm Hg, 10 min after asphyxia. The arterial blood pressure increased gradually over several minutes but fell relatively abruptly and profoundly at the end, due to circulatory failure. Initially, and as long as the arterial blood pressure and, therefore, cerebral blood flow were upheld (phase 1), changes in the brain surface pH were small (delta pH/delta t= -0.026 pH unit/min) in spite of severe hypercapnia. When cerebral perfusion pressure fell due to circulatory failure (phase 2), cerebral ischemia occurred and there was an abrupt fall in brain surface pH (delta pH/delta t= -0.067 pH unit/min). Changes in cisternal CSF [H+] grossly underestimated the magnitude of brain surface acidosis during the period of respiratory arrest; the initial difference between the mean brain surface fluid and cisternal CSF [H+] which was 8.9, rose to 15.1 and 47.4 nmol/L, respectively, 5 and 10 min after asphyxia. Changes in sagittal venous blood acid-base variables were more pronounced than those observed in the arterial blood or cisternal CSF; 5 min after respiratory arrest, arterial and sagittal venous blood and cisternal CSF and brain surface pH were 7.20, 7.09, 7.19 and 7.11, respectively. We conclude that (1) in the course of respiratory arrest cerebral outcome can potentially be determined by circulatory failure as evidenced by simultaneous changes in the arterial blood pressure and brain surface pH; (2) cisternal CSF acid-base changes lag behind those on the brain surface and CSF analyses provide unreliable information about the severity of brain acid-base changes during asphyxia; (3) changes in cerebral venous blood acid-base variables best represent the severity of metabolic aberrations in the brain during respiratory arrest.