Use of a Sodium Chloride—Phosphate Buffer for pH Standardization in a New Blood-Gas Analyzer with an Isotonic Sodium Chloride Bridge

Two different blood-gas analyzers were tested to determine the effects on blood pH measurement of changing the reference bridge solution from saturated KCl to normal saline (0.16 mol of NaCl per liter). This change, which necessitated the preparation of modified buffers equimolal in NaCl with respect to blood, virtually eliminated salt depletion of the bridge solution and improved the stability of the liquid-junction potential between the bridge solution and the sample. The instruments we used were the Corning 165 pH Blood Gas Analyzer and the Radiometer E5021 pH Electrode with PHM72 Acid Base Analyzer. Comparison of results on clinical blood samples indicates that performance with the modified bufferbridge system is the same as that obtained with the conventional scheme. Analytical performances of the Corning and Radiometer instruments for P O 2 and P CO 2, as well as for pH, were comparable.