Acid-base disorders: application of total body carbon dioxide titration in anesthesia.

Every anesthesiologist is aware of the importance of acid-base determinations, but the multiplicity of duties required in clinical anesthesia often leave time for blood-gas measurements at most. The author presents a relatively simple four-step system for more complete interpretation, with biomathematical back-grounding. In summary, he points out that the dominant parameter remains the patient's clinical history in relation to hydrogen ion, Paco2, and bicarbonate.