Making ABG interpretation easy

Published on 09/04/2015 by admin

Filed under Surgery

Last modified 09/04/2015

Print this page

rate 1 star rate 2 star rate 3 star rate 4 star rate 5 star
Your rating: none, Average: 0 (0 votes)

This article have been viewed 1131 times

1.9 Making ABG interpretation easy

The golden rule for making ABG interpretation easy is to assess pulmonary gas exchange and acid base status independently.

Assessing pulmonary gas exchange

• Using the algorithm opposite, classify gas exchange into one of the four possible categories.
• If there is type 1 respiratory impairment, assess severity of hypoxaemia (box 1)
• If there is type 2 respiratory impairment, establish whether it is chronic or acute, then assess severity of hypercapnia and hypoxaemia (boxes 1 & 2)
• If the category is hyperventilation, determine whether it is primary or secondary.

Box 1.9.1 Assessing hypercapnia severity

Severity is not related to absolute PaCO2 value but to the rate of PaCO2 rise and degree of blood pH derangement (pH < 7.25 = severe acidaemia). The presence of exhaustion is also an ominous sign.

Buy Membership for Surgery Category to continue reading. Learn more here

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailWhen and why is an ABG required? Default ThumbnailCommon ABG values Disorders of gas exchange Default ThumbnailAnswers ABG sampling technique 1–25