Normal Blood Gas Analysis

Normal blood gas analysis. Arterial blood gas analysis can be used to assess gas exchange and acid base status as well as to provide immediate information about electrolytes. Interpreting an arterial blood gas abg is a crucial skill for physicians nurses respiratory. Arterial blood gas abg analysis is a blood test which measures the acidity ph and the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. Arterial blood for blood gas analysis is usually drawn by a respiratory therapist and sometimes a phlebotomist a nurse a paramedic or a doctor.

The investigation is relatively easy to perform and yields information that can guide the management of acute and chronic illnesses this information indicates a patient s acid base balance the effectiveness of their gas exchange and the state of their ventilatory. Before getting stuck into the details of the analysis it s important to look at the patient s current clinical status as this provides essential context to the abg result. Doctors often use the test in. Interpretation of arterial blood gases abgs david a.

The source of blood is an artery unlike the routine blood tests which involve withdrawing blood from a vein. Kaufman md chief section of pulmonary critical care sleep medicine bridgeport hospital yale new haven health assistant clinical professor yale university school of medicine section of pulmonary critical care medicine introduction. This is particularly important if your patient is known to have chronic respiratory disease with existing chronic abg changes. Blood is most commonly drawn from the radial artery because it is easily accessible can be compressed to control bleeding and has less risk for vascular occlusion the selection of which radial artery to draw from is based on the outcome of an allen.

Below are a few examples to demonstrate how important context is when interpreting an abg. The normal range for p a co 2 is 35 to 45 mmhg. Arterial blood gas test normal values shows values for ph oxygen carbon dioxide bicarbonates lactic acid levels and oxygen saturation. Some abg results also show hemoglobin and serum electrolyte values.

Normal is considered to be from 22 to 26 mmol l. It is also useful to have access to any previous gases. Finally bicarbonate ions or hco 3 will tell you if the problem is related to metabolic changes in your patient and refers to the renal system berman et al. Arterial blood gas is usually advised to patients suffering from respiratory illnesses or under critical care.

A normal pao 2 in a patient on high flow oxygen.