The relationship between muscle surface pH and oxygen transport.

The relationship between muscle surface pH (pHM) and the arterial-venous oxygen content difference (AVO2D) was studied in 4 patients undergoing reconstructive arterial surgery and in 6 patients undergoing acute normovolemic hemodilution. There was a consistent inverse relation between pHM in the ischemic lower extremity and the femoral AVO2D before, during and after aortic clamping. There was also an inverse relation between AVO2D and pHM during hemodilution. These data confirm that pHM is a reliable indicator of tissue perfusion and correlates with the AVO2D.