Since CO2 is so central in affecting our metabolism, and by extension, to our health, I find the matter of measuring it accurately something difficult to do.
I used to think taking the serum venous bicarbonate would be a good and low-cost way to do it, as based on earlier threads, but more recent threads in the forum have cast doubt on using this as a basis. I believe that drawing arterial blood to measure arterial blood gases for CO2 partial pressure would give a better indication Of CO2 status, but it is both costly and impractical, given that it takes more skill and expense to do it, and it is a rather painful procedure. Another way is to measure tidal CO2 volume using a capnometer, but capnometers are expensive.
Are there other ways of determining CO2 status that would be more practical and more useful to us?
I thought of serum pH, since CO2 in the blood would affect the pH of the blood. But this also includes the effect of serum lactic acid in lowering pH, and it also includes the total CO2 in the blood in the form of dissolved CO2, as well as carbonic acid, as well as bicarbonates (which has a stabilizing buffer effect). With this manner, is there a way to account for these variables to get a good indicaation of CO2 status?
I've actually received my order of a CO2 bath and a carbogen machine, but haven't received the capnometer I ordered from Carbogenetics. It's been sitting there for a good half year already, because I didn't think it makes sense if I don't have a way to track CO2 status - to see the effects on CO2 status and be able to monitor and control how much CO2 I am getting to keep from getting an excess.
Any thoughts on this would be very much appreciated.
I used to think taking the serum venous bicarbonate would be a good and low-cost way to do it, as based on earlier threads, but more recent threads in the forum have cast doubt on using this as a basis. I believe that drawing arterial blood to measure arterial blood gases for CO2 partial pressure would give a better indication Of CO2 status, but it is both costly and impractical, given that it takes more skill and expense to do it, and it is a rather painful procedure. Another way is to measure tidal CO2 volume using a capnometer, but capnometers are expensive.
Are there other ways of determining CO2 status that would be more practical and more useful to us?
I thought of serum pH, since CO2 in the blood would affect the pH of the blood. But this also includes the effect of serum lactic acid in lowering pH, and it also includes the total CO2 in the blood in the form of dissolved CO2, as well as carbonic acid, as well as bicarbonates (which has a stabilizing buffer effect). With this manner, is there a way to account for these variables to get a good indicaation of CO2 status?
I've actually received my order of a CO2 bath and a carbogen machine, but haven't received the capnometer I ordered from Carbogenetics. It's been sitting there for a good half year already, because I didn't think it makes sense if I don't have a way to track CO2 status - to see the effects on CO2 status and be able to monitor and control how much CO2 I am getting to keep from getting an excess.
Any thoughts on this would be very much appreciated.