Week 11 - Arterial Blood Gas

Question 1

What is PaCO2? (3)

Answer 1

• Partial pressure of CO2
• Measures the amount of carbon dioxide in the arterial blood
• Indicates how well the lungs are excreting carbonic acid

Question 2

What does HCO3- measure? (2)

Answer 2

• Measures the amount of bicarbonate in the arterial blood
• Indicates how well the kidneys are excreting metabolic acid

Question 3

What does PaO2 measure? (2)

Answer 3

• Measures the amount of oxygen in the arterial blood
• Let’s us know what is happening at the level of the tissue

Question 4

What is base excess?

Answer 4

An indicator of how well the buffers are managing metabolic acid (we will introduce but not test this concept of base excess)

Question 5

ABG interpretation slide

Answer 5

Important to note that less PaCO2 means alkalosis

Question 6

What are the 6 steps to ABG analysis?

Answer 6

1. pH acidotic or alkalotic
2. PaCO2 (resp. acidotic or alkalotic?)
3. HCO3- (met. acidosis or alkalosis)
4. Match pH with either 2 or 3
5. Is there compensation? Is the other parameter going in the opposite direction?
6. Assess PaO2 and O2 Sat

there are a lot of practice in the slides

Question 7

What is compensation?

Answer 7

• The body may attempt to compensate for the pH change
• If the parameter that does note match the pH is moving in the opposite direction, the body is trying to compensate

Question 8

Partial vs Full Compensation Slide

Answer 8