Influence of temperature on blood pH of the human adult and newborn

Abstract

The effect of temperature upon pH of blood from adult and newborn humans was investigated. Although the mean ΔpH/ΔT values for the two populations differed, 0.0144/ °C for adults versus 0.0128 for the newborn, this was not peculiar to the source since the temperature-induced pH changes were identical when comparison was made between samples of similar pH and CO2 content. It was shown that even over the physiologic pH range ΔpH/ΔT is not constant but is a function of pH and CO2. No significant changes in ΔpH/ΔT were observed with oxygenation of hemoglobin. The influence of red cell concentration was detectable only when hematocrit values fell below 20%. A graph and an equation for the determination of ΔpH/ΔT of blood with a given pH and CO2 content is presented. acid base Submitted on December 9, 1963