Table 2.

Bicarbonate administration and blood gases.

	Overall (n = 314)	Bicarbonate (n = 56)	No Bicarbonate (n = 258)	p value
Number of bicarbonate doses	1 (1–2)	1 (1–2)	–	–
Total dose, mmol	100 (100–200)	100 (100–200)	–	–
Range, mmol	25–1000	25–1000
Mode, mmol	100	100
Hours until the first dose	3.9 (2.1–6.9)	3.9 (2.1–6.9)	–	–
Total number of blood gases	2 (1–3)	3 (2–4)	2 (1–3)	0.026
Last blood gas in ED
Sample - no. (%)				0.334
Arterial	244 (86.8)	18 (78.3)	226 (87.6)
Venous	32 (11.4)	5 (21.7)	27 (10.5)
Unknown	5 (1.8)	0 (0.0)	5 (1.9)
pH	7.22 (7.13–7.27)	7.08 (6.97–7.20)	7.23 (7.14–7.27)	<0.001
PaCO2, mmHg	35 (27–40)	28 (22–35)	35 (28–40)	0.003
Bicarbonate, mmol/L	14 (9–17)	8 (5–11)	14 (10–17)	<0.001
Base excess, mmol/L	−13.0 (−18.9–−9.7)	−22.2 (−26.4–−17.3)	−12.7 (−17.8–−9.6)	<0.001
Sodium, mmol/L	136 (132–139)	137 (134–142)	136 (132–139)	0.107
Potassium, mmol/L	4.5 (3.9–5.2)	5.0 (4.2–5.8)	4.4 (3.9–5.2)	0.071
Chloride, mmol/L	107 (102–111)	103 (100–112)	107 (102–111)	0.334
Change in blood gasa
pH	0.00 (0.00–0.08)	0.05 (0.00–0.17)	0.00 (0.00–0.07)	0.056
PaCO2, mmHg	0.00 (−4.00–0.00)	0.00 (−1.00–3.00)	0.00 (−4.00–0.00)	0.154
Bicarbonate, mmol/L	0.00 (0.00–2.00)	1.00 (0.00–3.00)	0.00 (0.00–1.00)	0.057
Base excess, mmol/L	0.00 (−0.40–2.43)	−4.50 (−4.50–−4.50)	0.00 (−0.35–2.65)	0.127
Sodium, mmol/L	0.00 (0.00–1.00)	3.00 (1.00–6.00)	0.00 (−1.00–1.00)	<0.001
Potassium, mmol/L	0.00 (−0.40–0.00)	−0.90 (−1.38–−0.30)	0.00 (−0.40–0.00)	<0.001
Chloride, mmol/L	0.00 (0.00–2.00)	0.00 (−1.00–2.00)	0.00 (0.00–2.00)	0.531

Data are median (quartile 25th - quartile 75th) or N (%).

^aLast - first blood gas.