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Isoji Sasagawa, MD, Department of Urology, Yamagata University, School of Medicine, 2-2-2 Iidanishi, Yamagata-shi, Yamagata 990-23 (Japan) pressure, bicarbonate and base excess. Sodium and potassium were determined by flame photometry. Chloride was measured by amperometric titration. BUN was determined by a diacetylmonoxime-thiosemicar-bizide reaction and creatinine was estimated with a modified Jaffe technique. Arterial blood gas measurements were performed using an automated microblood-gas analyzer (Coulter Counter T660, Coulter Electronics Inc., USA) and arterial bicarbonate concentration was calculated using the Henderson-Hasselbach equation. Treatment with Uralyt-U or sodium bicarbonate induced a significant reduction in seDear Sir, Ureterosigmoidostomy is a well-established means of continent urinary diversion, which is useful in patients with fecal continence, normal innervation of the anal sphincter and good renal function [1]. There usually is some tendency to cause postoperative acidosis, which needs to be prevented or corrected with supplementary oral bicarbonate [2]. Uralyt-U (Dr. Madaus Inc., FRG) is a new urinary alkalinizing agent composed of 2 mol potassium and 2 mol sodium citrate and 1 mol citric acid. In the present study, we investigate the influence of this drug on the correction of postoperative acidosis in patients who underwent ureterosigmoidostomy, and compare the repair of acidosis in the patients receiving sodium bicarbonate. Twenty-nine patients who underwent ureterosigmoidostomy following cystectomy for carcinoma of the bladder were studied. There were 14 males and 15 females. They were divided into two groups: group I–10 patients, aged 55-81 years (mean 65), were treated with 6.0 g Uralyt-U orally/day for 4 weeks; group Π-19 patients, aged 48-81 years (mean 62), received 6.0 g sodium bicarbonate orally/day for 4 weeks. No patient was on alkali therapy at the time of the study. In all patients, blood was drawn before and 4 weeks after the study for analysis of sodium, potassium, chloride, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, pH, carbon dioxide