Abstract

BACKGROUND
This study was performed to evaluate whether blood glucose concentrations have a significant influence on acid-base balance.
METHODS
We studied 157 adult patients who underwent intra-abdominal operations under general anesthesia. Postoperative blood samples were withdrawn from radial artery and blood glucose concentrations, gas values, and chemistry values were measured. All patients were divided into three groups according to the postoperative blood glucose level. The group 1 contained the patients who had postoperative blood glucose level lower than 126 mg/dl, the group 2, the patients with glucose level higher than 126 mg/dl, lower than 180 mg/dl, and the group 3, the patients with glucose level higher than 180 mg/dl.
RESULTS
Metabolic acidosis rate was significantly higher in group 3 than in group 1, group 2 and arterial blood pH was significantly lower in group 3 than that in group 1, group 2. Regression analysis showed that [H+] was correlated with blood glucose level. Strong ion difference (SID) was significantly lower in group 3 than group 1 and PaCO2 level was significantly lower in group 2 and group 3 than that in group 1. In regression analysis, there was a negative correlation between blood glucose concentration and SID. [H+] had a negative correlation with SID and PaCO2 was correlated with SID.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that blood glucose level affects acid-base balance and a disturbance in SID is accompanied with respiratory compensation.

• Keywords: acid-base balance;blood glucose concentration;metabolic acidosis;respiratory compensation;strong ion difference