[student8607]

In lab we had to "save" a cardiac patient by raising their pH.

We were given a solution and added HPO42- to raise the pH from 7 to 7.4.

We are to find out if this is a fair representation of how doctor's treat cardiac patients.

I've been Googling for an hour and can't find anything.

Any suggestions?

[Arkcon]

Ther are a number of buffers in human blood.  Are you aquainted with them?  Back in the day, my first introduction to pH buffers was the various components of the human blood buffer system, and it's components.  Were you taught about those?  Caution, these are not easy buffers to replicate in a lab environment.

[student8607]

No we didn't learn of any.
Do you recall any particularly important ones?

[Arkcon]

Look up some things carrried by parametics to deal with a sudden heart failure, or watch an episode of M*A*S*H for when a heart needs a jump start and see what they ask for.  Then try to figure a buffer around that component.  If the base this buffer system needs turns out to be a very common metabolic gas, you'll see why human blood uses it, and how difficult it will be for you to replicate it in a flask on a bench.

[student8607]

Are you referring to bicarbonate (HCO3-) and carbonic acid (H2CO3)?

[Arkcon]

Yes, the proton acceptor is CO2 gas dissolved in the blood, at certain partial pressure, determined by the breathing rate.  Deoxygenated hemoglobin is also a proton acceptor.  There are other serum proteins that form an acid/base equilibrium as well, to affect total blood pH.  The carotid process, a bundle of chemoreceptors surrounding the carotid artery in your neck, "tastes" if you will, the pH of your blood, and alters your breathing rate, to remove or add more CO2 in you blood, to affect pH.  I'm thinking, it will be hard to overcome all these factors and change blood pH.