Abstract
Twenty-one infants with the congenital heart disease and eight normal infants as a control were studied on the acid-base balance. Moreover, a number of the older patients with the congenital heart disease over 4 years of age were compared with the infants described above. The following results were obtained.
1) In the normal infants as a control PCO2 and base excess of arterial blood were slightly decreased, but pH was approximately within normal limit.
2) In the infants with the increased pulmonary blood flow PCO2 of arterial blood was increased, base excess normal or slightly decreased and pH lowered. The cases who had the values over 55mmHg of PCO2 were usually combined with the lowered pH below 7.30.
3) In the infants with the decreased pulmonary blood flow PCO2 and base excess of arterial blood were decreased, and pH was lowered. At the time of the anoxic spell, the value of base excess was highly decreased. However, in infants with the unsatisfactory respiratory compensation pH of arterial blood was remarkably lowered.
4) In the older patients with the congenital heart disease the value of pH was approximately within normal limit in spite of the abnormal values of PCO2 and base exccess.
