This document provides an overview of arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis including the procedure, interpretation of results, and applications. It discusses how ABG can be used to assess respiratory failure, monitor patients on ventilators, and evaluate acid-base imbalances. The key steps in ABG interpretation involve analyzing gas exchange by looking at pO2, A-a gradient, and pCO2/FiO2 ratio, and acid-base status by examining pH, pCO2, HCO3, and the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation. Mixed disorders are identified when compensation is inadequate or pCO2 and HCO3 move in opposite directions. The anion gap is also calculated to detect metabolic acidosis
3. Applications of ABG
o To document respiratory failure and assess
its severity
o To monitor patients on ventilators and
assist in weaning
o To assess acid base imbalance in critical
illness
o To assess response to therapeutic
interventions and mechanical ventilation
o To assess pre-op patients
4. ABG – Procedure and Precautions
Where to place -- the options
Radial
Dorsalis Pedis
Femoral
Brachial
5. Technical Errors
Excessive Heparin
Ideally : Pre-heparinised ABG syringes
Syringe FLUSHED with 0.5ml 1:1000 Heparin &
emptied
DO NOT LEAVE EXCESSIVE HEPARIN IN
THE SYRINGE
HEPARIN DILUTIONAL
EFFECT
HCO3
-
pCO2
7. Technical Errors
Risk of alteration of results with:
1) size of syringe/needle
2) vol of sample
Syringes must have > 50% blood
Use only 3ml or less syringe
25% lower values if 1 ml sample taken in 10 ml
syringe (0.25 ml heparin in needle)
8. Technical Errors
Air Bubbles
pO2 150 mm Hg & pCO2 0 mm Hg
🠶Contact with AIR BUBBLES
pO2 & pCO2
Seal syringe immediately after sampling
-
Body Temperature
Affects values of pCO2 and HCO3 only
ABG Analyser controlled for Normal Body
temperatures
9. Technical Errors
WBC Counts
0.01 ml O2 consumed/dL/min
Marked increase in high TLC/plt counts : pO2
Chilling / immediate analysis
ABG Syringe must be transported earliest via COLD
CHAIN
Change/10 min Uniced 370C Iced 40C
pH 0.01 0.001
pCO2 1 mm Hg 0.1 mm Hg
pO2 0.1% 0.01%
10. ABGEquipment
3 electrode system that measures
three fundamental variables - pO2,
pCO2 and pH
All others parameters such as HCO3
-
computed by software using standard
formulae
14. Determinants of PaO2
PaO2 is dependant upon Age, FiO2, Patm
As Age the expected PaO2
• PaO2 = 109 - 0.4 (Age)
As FiO2 the expected PaO2
• Alveolar Gas Equation:
• PAO2= (PB- PH20) x FiO2- pCO2/R
15. Hypoxemia
o Normal PaO2 : 95 – 100 mm Hg
o Mild Hypoxemia : PaO2 60 – 80 mm Hg
o Moderate Hypoxemia : PaO2 40 – 60 mm Hg
– tachycardia, hypertension, cool extremities
o Severe Hypoxemia : PaO2 < 40 mm Hg –
severe arrhythmias, brain injury, death
16. Alveolar-arterial O2 gradient
o P(A-a)O2 is the alveolar-arterial difference in
partial pressure of oxygen
o PAO2 = 150 – PaCO2/RQ
o Normal range : 5 - 25 mm Hg (increases with
age)
o Increase P(A-a)O2 : lung parenchymal disease
17. PaO2 / FiO2 ratio
Inspired Air FiO2 = 21%
PiO2 = 150 mmHg
PalvO2 = 100 mmHg
PaO2 = 90 mmHg
O2
CO2
18. Berlincriteria for ARDSseverity
PaO2 / FiO2 ratio Inference
200 - 300 mm Hg Mild ARDS
100 - 200 mm Hg Moderate ARDS
< 100 mm Hg Severe ARDS
ARDS is characterized by an acute onset within 1 week, bilateral
radiographic pulmonary infiltrates, respiratory failure not fully
explained by heart failure or volume overload, and a PaO2/FiO2
ratio < 300 mm Hg
19. Hypercapnia
o PaCO2 is directly proportional to CO2
production and inversely proportional to
alveolar ventilation
o Normal PaCO2 is 35 – 45 mm Hg
27. Renal Regulation
Kidneys control the acid-base balance by excreting
either a basic or an acidic urine
-
-
• Excretion of HCO3
• Regeneration of HCO3
with excretion of H+
28. Excretion of excess H+ & generation of new
-
HCO3 : The Ammonia Buffer System
• In chronic acidosis, the dominant mechanism
+
of acid eliminated excretion of NH4
GLUTAMINE
HCO3
- NH3
REABSORBED NH3 + H+ NH4
+
EXCRETED
29. Response…
Bicarbonate Buffer System
• Acts in few seconds
Respiratory Regulation
• Starts within minutes good response by 2hrs,
complete by 12-24 hrs
Renal Regulation
• Starts after few hrs, complete by 5-7 days
32. Compensation…
-
The body always tries to normalize the pH so…
pCO2 and HCO3 rise & fall together in simple
disorders
Compensation never overcorrects the pH
Lack of compensation in an appropriate time
defines a 2nd disorder
Require normally functioning lungs and kidneys
34. Disorder Compensatory response
Respiratoryacidosis
Acute ↑ HCO3
– 1 mEq/L per 10 mm Hg ↑ pCO2
Chronic ↑ HCO3
– 3.5 mEq/L per 10 mm Hg ↑ pCO2
Respiratoryalkalosis
Acute ↓ HCO3
– 2 mEq/L per 10 mm Hg ↓ pCO2
Chronic ↓ HCO3
– 5 mEq/L per 10 mm Hg ↓ pCO2
Metabolic acidosis ↓ pCO2 1.3 mm Hg per 1 mEq/L ↓ HCO3
–
(Limit of CO2 is 10 mm Hg)
Metabolic alkalosis ↑ pCO2 0.7 mm Hg per 1 mEq/L ↑ HCO3
–
(Limit of CO2 is 55 mm Hg)
35. Mixed Acid-baseDisorders
Presence of more than one acid base
-
disorder simultaneously
Clues to a mixed disorder:
o Normal pH with abnormal HCO3 or pCO2
-
o pCO2 and HCO3 move in opposite directions
o pH changes in an opposite direction for a
known primary disorder
36. Anion Gap
AG = [Na+
] - [Cl-
+HCO3
-
]
• Elevated anion gap represents
metabolic acidosis
• Normal value: 12 ± 4 mEq/L
• Major unmeasured anions
– albumin
– phosphates
– sulfates
– organic anions
38. Increased Anion Gap
o Diabetic Ketoacidosis
o Chronic Kidney Disease
o Lactic Acidosis
o Alcoholic Ketoacidosis
o Aspirin Poisoning
o Methanol Poisoning
o Ethylene Glycol Poisoning
o Starvation
Normal Anion Gap
o Diarrhea
o Renal Tubular Acidosis
o Addisons Disease
o Carbonic Anhydrase
Inhibitors
39. Delta Gap
o The difference between patient’s AG & normal AG
o The coexistence of 2 metabolic acid-base
disorders may be apparent
Delta gap = Anion gap – 12
-
Delta Gap + HCO3 = 22-26 mEq/l
If >26, consider additional metabolic alkalosis
If <22, consider additional non AG metabolic acidosis