Does intravenous sodium bicarbonate verify intravenous position of catheters in ventilated children?
The injection of 2.1% sodium bicarbonate in mechanically ventilated ASA I-II children identified intravascular placement and patency of an IV catheter by an increase in the exhaled CO(2) concentration. The injections did not have any clinically significant effects on blood pH, bicarbonate, or sodium concentration.
This animal study suggests that: 1) abrupt rather than gradual hormonal changes induce increased stress-reactivity and anxiety-like behavior; 2) postpartum blues may result from differences in the capacity to adapt to the changes of gonadal hormones; 3) Recovery of pregnancy-induced diminished HPA-axis response is independent of the postpartum hormone kinetics.