Table 1.
Acid–base characteristics of CSF in the study population. Data expressed as mean (standard deviation). Student's t-test or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests used as appropriate. ATOT, total amount of weak, non-carbonic acids; Pco2, partial pressure of carbon dioxide; RBC, red blood cell count; SID, strong ion difference; WBC, white blood cell count.
| Variables | Control group, n=13 | Pregnant group, n=20 | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| pH | 7.34 (0.02) | 7.36 (0.02) | 0.003 |
|
Pco2 (kPa) (mm Hg) |
5.9 (0.3) 45 (2) |
5.4 (0.3) 41 (2) |
<0.001 |
| ATOT (mM) | 1.2 (0.3) | 1.5 (0.6) | 0.046 |
| SID (mM) | 24.7 (1.2) | 23.7 (1.3) | 0.02 |
| Na+ (mM) | 139 (1) | 137 (1) | 0.001 |
| K+ (mM) | 2.7 (0.1) | 2.7 (0.1) | 0.22 |
| Ca2+ (mM) | 0.99 (0.02) | 0.96 (0.02) | <0.001 |
| Mg2+ (mM) | 1.09 (0.04) | 1.08 (0.02) | 0.45 |
| Cl– (mM) | 120 (1) | 119 (1) | 0.04 |
| Lactate (mM) | 1.4 (0.2) | 1.5 (0.1) | 0.03 |
| HCO3– (mM) | 22.5 (0.9) | 21.5 (1.1) | 0.01 |
| Ionised phosphate (mM) | 0.8 (0.3) | 0.6 (0.1) | 0.01 |
| Ionised albumin (mM) | 0.1 (0.1) | 0.6 (0.4) | 0.001 |
| Urea (mg dl−1) | 20 (4) | 18 (7) | 0.30 |
| Osmolality (mOsm kg−1) | 284 (3) | 276 (3) | <0.001 |
| Glucose (mg dl−1) | 56 (7) | 51 (5) | 0.012 |
| Haemoglobin (g dl−1) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.35 |
| RBC (106 μl−1) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.85 |
| WBC (μl−1) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.85 |