Interpreting Abgs | Ausmed | Tips For Nurses
Arterial blood gasses, or ABGs, may be among the most complex and confusing parts of nursing practice. Everyone can read an electrolyte level, but when faced with a list of ABGs, most nurses wilt. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to remember how to decipher these important lab results. Without knowing them, your patient could easily go downhill when the answer was in front of you all along. These easy questions are all you need to know in order to interpret ABGs effectively and help your patient, should a problem arise. Firstly, it is important to know what values you are looking at and what is considered normal. The first value is the pH, which measures how many hydrogen ions are in the sample. This determines if the blood is acidotic or alkalotic. Normal values for pH range from 7.35 to 7.45. The next value is the carbon dioxide level, and this will tell you if the problem is a respiratory one. Normal range for CO2 is 35 to 45mmHg. Finally, bicarbonate ions, or HCO3-, will tell you if the problem is related to metabolic changes in your patient. Normal is considered to be from 22 to 26mmol/L. When the numbers fall out of these ranges, you use them to determine what type of problem the patient is experiencing. If the numbers are not within normal range, you have to ask yourself if the patients pH is acidotic or alkalotic. It may seem counter-intuitive, but the lower the number, the more acidotic the patient is. For instance, a pH of 3 is severely acidotic and requires emergency intervention. Alkalosis is the opposite. The higher the number, the more base is in the blood sample. Although this doesnt sound as bad as a high acid count, it can still disrupt the normal functioning of the body. Once youve determined whether there is too much acid or too much base, you c Continue reading >>
Abg Interpretation
Arterial blood gas (ABG) interpretation is something many medical students find difficult to grasp (we’ve been there). We’ve created this guide, which aims to provide a structured approach to ABG interpretation whilst also increasing your understanding of each results relevance. The real value of an ABG comes from its ability to provide a near immediate reflection of the physiology of your patient, allowing you to recognise and treat pathology more rapidly. To see how to perform an arterial blood gas check out our guide here. If you want to put your ABG interpretation skills to the test, check out our ABG quiz here. Normal ranges pH: 7.35 – 7.45 PaCO2: 4.7-6.0 kPa PaO2: 11-13 kPa HCO3-: 22-26 mEg/L Base excess: -2 to +2 mmol/L Patient’s clinical condition 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. Below are a few examples to demonstrate how important context is when interpreting an ABG. A normal PaO2 in a patient on high flow oxygen – this is abnormal as you would expect the patient to have a PaO2 well above the normal range with this level of oxygen therapy A normal PaCO2 in a hypoxic asthmatic patient – a sign they are tiring and need ITU intervention A very low PaO2 in a patient who looks completely well, is not short of breath and has normal O2 saturations – likely a venous sample Oxygenation (PaO2) Your first question when looking at the ABG should be “Is this patient hypoxic?” (because this will kill them long before anything else does). PaO2 should be >10 kPa on air in a healthy patient If the patient is receiving oxygen therapy their PaO2 should be approximately 10kPa less than the % inspired concentration / FiO Continue reading >>
Acid-base Imbalances Made Easy With Picmonic
We value your time, which is why we made lab values easier than ever to understand with Picmonics pathway for acid-base imbalances! Guess what? Picmonic has a super-easy nursing acid base imbalances visual study guide that will help you soak in all the acid base information you need. We worked hard to make sure our nursing acid base imbalances visual study aid was simple to understand and fun. See for yourself! Then, read this article to learn the basics of how to interpret acid base imbalances in 3 steps. You can even test your knowledge afterward with this FREE QUIZ ! Watch Kendall teach basics of how to interpret Acid Base Imbalances. Read and learn the basics of how to interpret acid base imbalances in these 3 steps* Helpful Hint: Look at the numbers .35 and .45 in the pH levels. Looks pretty similar to the lab values of 35-45 in pCO2, right? Youve already got two lab values memorized right there! Once youve got those lab values memorized, its easy to recognize what is abnormal. Now, if a patients pH falls below 7.35, they are in a state of acidosis. If the patients pH is above 7.45, the patient would be in a state of alkalosis. 2. Figure out what kind of acidosis or alkalosis our patient is in: respiratory or metabolic? Here, we first look at the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) in the blood. CO2 is acidic in the body and is regulated through respiration. Think breathing. We blow off CO2 with every breath. A good little trick here is to look at the pH and see what direction its going (up or down), and then look at the CO2 and see what direction thats going. If they are going in the opposite directions, then we have ourselves a patient with a respiratory disorder. Thats where you take part one (acidosis or alkalosis) and match it here with respiratory ( re Continue reading >>
8-step Guide To Abg Analysis: Tic-tac-toe Method
An arterial blood gas (ABG) is a blood test that measures the acidity (pH) and the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood . Blood for an ABG test is taken from an artery whereas most other blood tests are done on a sample of blood taken from a vein. This test is done to monitor several conditions that can cause serious health complications especially to critically ill individuals. Every day, a lot of nursing and medical students assigned in acute areas encounter ABG results, which they may not necessarily be able to interpret with its knotty aspect. They struggle over the interpretation of its measurements, but they are not especially complicated nor difficult if you understand the basic physiology and have a step by step process to analyze and interpret them. There may be various tips and strategies to guide you, from mnemonics, to charts, to lectures, to practice, but this article will tell you how to interpret ABGs in the easiest possible way. And once you have finished reading this, youll be doing actual ABG analysis in the NCLEX with fun and excitement! Here are the steps: Know the normal and abnormal ABG values when you review the lab reports. Theyre fairly easy to remember: for pH, the normal value is 7.35 to 7.45; 35-45 for paCO2; and 22-26 for HCO3. Remember also this diagram and note that paCO2 is intentionallyinverted for the purpose of this method. 2. Determine if pH is under acidosis or alkalosis Next thing to do is to determine the acidity or alkalinity of the blood through the value of pH. The pH level of a healthy human should be between 7.35 to 7.45. The human body is constantly striving to keep pH in balance. 3. Determine if acid-base is respiratory or metabolic Next thing you need to determine is whether the acid base is Respiratory or Meta Continue reading >>
Simple Method Of Acid Base Balance Interpretation
A FOUR STEP METHOD FOR INTERPRETATION OF ABGS Usefulness This method is simple, easy and can be used for the majority of ABGs. It only addresses acid-base balance and considers just 3 values. pH, PaCO2 HCO3- Step 1. Use pH to determine Acidosis or Alkalosis. ph < 7.35 7.35-7.45 > 7.45 Acidosis Normal or Compensated Alkalosis Step 2. Use PaCO2 to determine respiratory effect. PaCO2 < 35 35 -45 > 45 Tends toward alkalosis Causes high pH Neutralizes low pH Normal or Compensated Tends toward acidosis Causes low pH Neutralizes high pH Step 3. Assume metabolic cause when respiratory is ruled out. You'll be right most of the time if you remember this simple table: High pH Low pH Alkalosis Acidosis High PaCO2 Low PaCO2 High PaCO2 Low PaCO2 Metabolic Respiratory Respiratory Metabolic If PaCO2 is abnormal and pH is normal, it indicates compensation. pH > 7.4 would be a compensated alkalosis. pH < 7.4 would be a compensated acidosis. These steps will make more sense if we apply them to actual ABG values. Click here to interpret some ABG values using these steps. You may want to refer back to these steps (click on "linked" steps or use "BACK" button on your browser) or print out this page for reference. Step 4. Use HC03 to verify metabolic effect Normal HCO3- is 22-26 Please note: Remember, the first three steps apply to the majority of cases, but do not take into account: the possibility of complete compensation, but those cases are usually less serious, and instances of combined respiratory and metabolic imbalance, but those cases are pretty rare. "Combined" disturbance means HCO3- alters the pH in the same direction as the PaCO2. High PaCO2 and low HCO3- (acidosis) or Low PaCO2 and high HCO3- (alkalosis). Continue reading >>
Acid-base Imbalance - An Overview | Sciencedirect Topics
Ahmad Bilal Faridi, Lawrence S. Weisberg, in Critical Care Medicine (Third Edition) , 2008 Acid-base disorders are revealed most commonly through the basic metabolic chemistry panel, when the plasma bicarbonate concentration is noted to be outside the normal range. If the bicarbonate is low and if the anion gap is clearly elevated on that sample, a diagnosis of high anion gap metabolic acidosis can be made with some confidence, keeping in mind the pitfalls in the interpretation of the anion gap mentioned earlier.7 If the bicarbonate is low and the anion gap normal, two possibilities exist: either a hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis or a respiratory alkalosis with metabolic compensation. These two entities can be distinguished by examination of the blood pH and blood gases, a low pH being diagnostic of the former. If the bicarbonate concentration is high, again there are two alternative diagnoses, requiring blood pH measurement for their differentiation: either a metabolic alkalosis or metabolic compensation for a respiratory acidosis. Once the primary disturbance has been identified, the astute clinician, recognizing the possibility of a mixed disturbance, is obligated to ask, Is that all there is? This question can be answered only by an understanding of the rules of normal compensation for simple acid-base disorders (see Table 58-1).2 Knowing at least the expected direction of compensation will allow the clinician to diagnose the most obvious mixed disturbances. For example, if the pH is low, the bicarbonate is low, and the pco2 is above 40 torr, there is clearly a mixed metabolic and respiratory acidosis. Similarly, if the pH is high, the bicarbonate is high, and the pco2 is below 40 torr, the diagnosis is a mixed respiratory and metabolic alkalosis. More subtle mix Continue reading >>
Blood Gas Analysis For Bedside Diagnosis
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Post Graduate Institute of Dental Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana, India Address for correspondence: Dr. Virendra Singh, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Post Graduate Institute of Dental Sciences, Pt. B.D. Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana - 124 001, India. E-mail: [email protected] Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer Copyright : National Journal of Maxillofacial Surgery This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Arterial blood gas is an important routine investigation to monitor the acid-base balance of patients, effectiveness of gas exchange, and the state of their voluntary respiratory control. Majority of the oral and maxillofacial surgeons find it difficult to interpret and clinically correlate the arterial blood gas report in their everyday practice. This has led to underutilization of this simple tool. The present article aims to simplify arterial blood gas analysis for a rapid and easy bedside interpretation. In context of oral and maxillofacial surgery, arterial blood gas analysis plays a vital role in the monitoring of postoperative patients, patients receiving oxygen therapy, those on intensive support, or with maxillofacial trauma with significant blood loss, sepsis, and comorbid conditions like diabetes, kidney disorders, Cardiovascular system (CVS) conditions, and so on. The value of this analysis is limited by the understanding of the basic physiology and ability of the surgeon Continue reading >>
Metabolic Acidosis Nclex Review Notes
Are you studying metabolic acidosis and need to know a mnemonic on how to remember the causes? This article will give you a clever mnemonic and simplify the signs and symptoms and nursing interventions on how to remember metabolic acidosis for nursing lecture exams and NCLEX. In addition, you will learn how to differentiate metabolic acidosis from metabolic alkalosis. Don’t forget to take the metabolic acidosis and metabolic alkalosis quiz. This article will cover: Metabolic acidosis simplified Lab values expected with metabolic acidosis Causes of metabolic acidosis Signs and symptoms of metabolic acidosis Nursing interventions for metabolic acidosis Lecture on Metabolic Acidosis Metabolic Acidosis Metabolic Acidosis in Simple Terms: a metabolic problem due to the buildup of acid in the body fluids which affects the bicarbonate (HCO3 levels) either from: increased acid production (ex: DKA where ketones (acids) increase in the body which decreases bicarbonate) decreased acid excretion (ex: renal failure where there is high amount of waste left in the body which causes the acids to increase and bicarb can’t control imbalance) loss of too much bicarb (diarrhea) When this acidic phenomena is taking place in the body other systems will try to compensate to increase the bicarb back to normal. One system that tries to compensate is the respiratory system. In order to compensate, the respiratory system will cause the body to hyperventilate by increasing breathing through Kussmaul’s respirations. Kussmaul respirations are deep, rapid breathes. The body hopes this will help expel CO2 (an acid) which will “hopefully” increase the pH back to normal. Lab values expected in Metabolic Acidosis: HCO3: decreased <22 Blood pH: decreased <7.35 CO2: <35 or normal (may be normal b Continue reading >>
Metabolic Alkalosis
Metabolic alkalosis is a metabolic condition in which the pH of tissue is elevated beyond the normal range (7.35–7.45). This is the result of decreased hydrogen ion concentration, leading to increased bicarbonate, or alternatively a direct result of increased bicarbonate concentrations. Terminology[edit] Alkalosis refers to a process by which the pH is increased. Alkalemia refers to a pH which is higher than normal, specifically in the blood. Causes[edit] The causes of metabolic alkalosis can be divided into two categories, depending upon urine chloride levels.[1] Chloride-responsive (Urine chloride < 10 mEq/L)[edit] Loss of hydrogen ions - Most often occurs via two mechanisms, either vomiting or via the kidney. Vomiting results in the loss of hydrochloric acid (hydrogen and chloride ions) with the stomach contents. In the hospital setting this can commonly occur from nasogastric suction tubes. Severe vomiting also causes loss of potassium (hypokalaemia) and sodium (hyponatremia). The kidneys compensate for these losses by retaining sodium in the collecting ducts at the expense of hydrogen ions (sparing sodium/potassium pumps to prevent further loss of potassium), leading to metabolic alkalosis.[2] Congenital chloride diarrhea - rare for being a diarrhea that causes alkalosis instead of acidosis.[3] Contraction alkalosis - This results from a loss of water in the extracellular space, such as from dehydration. Decreased extracellular volume triggers the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and aldosterone subsequently stimulates reabsorption of sodium (and thus water) within the nephron of the kidney. However, a second action of aldosterone is to stimulate renal excretion of hydrogen ions (while retaining bicarbonate), and it is this loss of hydrogen ions that raises Continue reading >>
My Life As A Resident
Hello Mr Ryan, Mr Trump, and whomever else this may concern. (And, if you are an American of any stripe, then as it turnsout it also concerns you.) I am a family physician. I interact with your constituentsall day, every day. I hear about their problems, their struggles, and often thelimitations they face regarding healthcare. I try to help them when I can. Thatsmy job in a nutshell. So let me tell you about one of your constituents who alsohappened to become my patient. Lets call him Bob. Bob is a middle aged man who worked full time at an entrylevel manual labor type job. The kind of job you spend 40 hrs/wk working butstill hover around the poverty line. The kind of job with no benefits. He didntgo to the doctor and had no health insurance but as far as he knew he also didnthave any health problems. Until one day he started feeling unwell. Thispersisted for a few days and he refused to let his wife take him to the doctor.He was worried about the cost and figured hed get better in a few days anyway.Only he didnt. He got worse and his wife called an ambulance. Actually, lets skip ahead to the final diagnosis. Bob hastype 2 diabetes. Newly diagnosed. Easy. Boring. Right? Except Bob clearly haddiabetes for some time, unbeknownst to him. When he arrived in the EmergencyDepartment he was in septic shock. He was riddled with large abscesses in hisinternal organs and soft tissues. Both his lower limbs were necrotic. He hadosteomyelitis in multiple locations. Whats really amazing though is that helived. He had both his legs amputated below the knees and was hospitalized forweeks. All told he had 8 or 9 surgeries. He required weeks of additional IVantibiotics. But he ultimately got better. And his diabetes is well controllednow on pretty minimal medication. During his hospital Continue reading >>
Acid Base Disorders
Arterial blood gas analysis is used to determine the adequacy of oxygenation and ventilation, assess respiratory function and determine the acid–base balance. These data provide information regarding potential primary and compensatory processes that affect the body’s acid–base buffering system. Interpret the ABGs in a stepwise manner: Determine the adequacy of oxygenation (PaO2) Normal range: 80–100 mmHg (10.6–13.3 kPa) Determine pH status Normal pH range: 7.35–7.45 (H+ 35–45 nmol/L) pH <7.35: Acidosis is an abnormal process that increases the serum hydrogen ion concentration, lowers the pH and results in acidaemia. pH >7.45: Alkalosis is an abnormal process that decreases the hydrogen ion concentration and results in alkalaemia. Determine the respiratory component (PaCO2) Primary respiratory acidosis (hypoventilation) if pH <7.35 and HCO3– normal. Normal range: PaCO2 35–45 mmHg (4.7–6.0 kPa) PaCO2 >45 mmHg (> 6.0 kPa): Respiratory compensation for metabolic alkalosis if pH >7.45 and HCO3– (increased). PaCO2 <35 mmHg (4.7 kPa): Primary respiratory alkalosis (hyperventilation) if pH >7.45 and HCO3– normal. Respiratory compensation for metabolic acidosis if pH <7.35 and HCO3– (decreased). Determine the metabolic component (HCO3–) Normal HCO3– range 22–26 mmol/L HCO3 <22 mmol/L: Primary metabolic acidosis if pH <7.35. Renal compensation for respiratory alkalosis if pH >7.45. HCO3 >26 mmol/L: Primary metabolic alkalosis if pH >7.45. Renal compensation for respiratory acidosis if pH <7.35. Additional definitions Osmolar Gap Use: Screening test for detecting abnormal low MW solutes (e.g. ethanol, methanol & ethylene glycol [Reference]) An elevated osmolar gap (>10) provides indirect evidence for the presence of an abnormal solute which is prese Continue reading >>
Why Measure Blood Gases? A Three-part Introduction For The Novice. Part 2.
Why measure blood gases? A three-part introduction for the novice. Part 2. Why measure blood gases? A three-part introduction for the novice. Part 2. Arterial blood gases (ABG), a clinical test that involves measurement of the pH of arterial blood and the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide dissolved in arterial blood, is routinely used in the diagnosis and monitoring of predominantly critically/acutely ill patients being cared for in hospital emergency rooms and intensive care units. The test allows assessment of two related physiological functions: pulmonary gas exchange and acid-base homeostasis. This is the second of three articles intended to explain the clinical value of ABG to those with little or no experience of the test. The first article focused on the physiological aspects that underpin an understanding of patient ABG results. The concepts of pH, acid, base and buffer were explained, and the parameters generated during ABG were defined and related to pulmonary gas exchange and acid-base homeostasis. In this second article attention turns to the clinical significance of abnormal ABG results, specifically abnormality in three ABG parameters (pH, pCO2(a) and bicarbonate) that determine patient acid-base status. A major focus of the article will be an explanation of the four classes of acid-base disturbance: respiratory acidosis, metabolic acidosis, respiratory alkalosis and metabolic alkalosis. The causes and physiological consequence of each of these disturbances will be discussed. Reference (normal) range for the blood gas parameters under discussion here: pH 7.35-7.45 pCO2(a) 4.7-6.0 kPa (35-45 mmHg) Bicarbonate 22-28 mmol/L DISTURBANCE OF ACID-BASE HOMEOSTASIS - GENERAL CONSIDERATION Disturbance of acid-base homeostasis is characterized by abnormality in o Continue reading >>
Respiratory Therapy Cave: Abg Interpretation Made Easy: Acid Base Balance
ABG interpretation made easy: acid base balance So you made it this far. Now you must interpret the results. Looking for some tips to ease your anxiety over an upcoming test that covers arterial blood gas (ABG) interpretation? Well, look no further. The goal of this blog is to make your life easy. ABG interpretation is as easy as remembering four basic questions, and then answering them in sequence. Of course then you'll have to practice, practice, practice. By the time your test comes up you should be an ABG interpretation expert. To make things simple, I will only refer to the three basic ABG values in this post To interpret these results, all you have to do is memorize these four basic questions, and then answer them in order. If all the values fall within the normal parameters, then you have a normal ABG and you can stop here: The ABG is normal. If any one of the values is out of the normal range, then you must move on to the next question. B. Is the pH Acidotic or Alkalotic?To determine this you look only at the pH. Alkalotic: If the pH is greater than 7.45 the patient is Alkalotic. Acidotic: If the pH is below 7.35 the patient is acidotic. C. Is the cause respiratory or metabolic?To determine this you look at pH and compare it with HcO3 and CO2. If the pH is acidotic, you look for whichever value (HcO3 or CO2) is also acidotic. If the pH is alkalotic, you look for whichever value (HcO3 or CO2) is also alkalotic. In this sense, you match the pH with HcO3 and CO2. If the pH matches with the CO2, you have respiratory. If the pH matches with the HcO3, you have metabolic. Metabolic Alkalosis: If the pH is alkatotic and the HcO3 alkalotic. Respiratory Alkalosis: If the pH is alkalotic and the CO2 is alkalotic Metabolic Acidosis: If the pH is acidotic and the HcO3 acido Continue reading >>
Metabolic/respiratory Acidosis And Alkalosis | Pt Final Exam
Metabolic/Respiratory Acidosis and Alkalosis Posted by [email protected] | April 2, 2014 | metabolic acidosis , NPTE , respiratory acidosis , study material It has been awhile since I postedIve been extremely busy putting together new content for NPTE preparation and guiding my current course of the Mastermind Study Group through their material. I have always had a love for teaching, and its so awesome that I have this outlet to really capitalize on those skills. One of my most recent projects is a quick how-to video on how to distinguish between Acidosis and Alkalosis with a standard arterial blood gas analysis. This can be tedious for some students to really analyze, and I hope that I can make this portion of the exam a little bit easier. Im attaching the file with the table and brief instructions. Ive also created a brief Youtube video to help explain things further. Please check them out and let me know what you think. As Ive said before, I thrive on honest feedback, and I would appreciate yours. If anything I have on this website is useful to you, please consider using the social media sharing buttons to let your friends and classmates know about this resource. This site has been growing astronomically in the last 6 months, and I want to help as many people as I can as they prepare for the July 2014 NPTE. If theres anything that you would like to me to explain or create an instructional video about, please contact me ! Continue reading >>
Easy Way To Interpret Abg Values
ABG values can be very intimidating! Its hard to remember all the different normal values, what they mean, and which direction theyre supposed to be going. With so much information, its super easy to get mixed up and make a stupid mistake on an exam, even when you really DO know how to interpret ABGs. In this article, Im focusing more on the How to, rather than understanding whats going on with the A&P, which Ive already done in previous articles. If you want to understand whythese steps work (which you should do anyway to become a great nurse!),take some time to review my articles on Respiratory Imbalances and Metabolic Imbalances . Heres my 7-step method to interpreting ABGs. We have three puzzle pieces to put together: B)uncompensated, partially compensated, or compensated 1) Across the top of your page, write down the normal values for the three most important ABG lab results: pH (7.35-7.45), PaCO2 (35-45), and HCO3 (22-26). 2) Underneath pH, draw arrows to remind you which direction is acidic (down), and which direction is basic (down). 3) UnderneathPaCO2, and HCO3, draw arrows to remind you what abnormally high and low values would do to the bodys pH. When youre done, your page should look something like this: So far, we havent even looked at the question yet, were just trying to prevent any stupid mistakes!! 4) Now you can finally look at the patients ABG values. Check the pH and decide if the value is normal, high, or low. 4a) If the pH is normal, check PaCO2, and HCO3. If they are both normal, then you patient is fine and you can stop here. But if one or both of these values is abnormal, then continue to step 5. 5) Identify if the patient has alkalosis or acidosis. 5a) If the pH is abnormal, then compare it to the arrows you wrote at the top of your paper and Continue reading >>
