The factors that influence critical care nursing staff when making the decision to sample blood for arterial blood gas analysis is the subject of a recent UK study. The authors of this study specifically sought to establish if there is an association between patient values for four parameters (FO₂(I) , pCO₂, pO₂ and % ...

The population-based reference interval is the most widely used tool for interpretation of individual patient laboratory test results. The clinical value of those results depend crucially on the reference intervals with which they are compared, and all efforts directed at ensuring analytically precise and accurate...

Premature, very-low-birth-weight babies have immature lungs and frequently require mechanical ventilation to ensure the gas (O₂, CO₂) exchange necessary for survival. Ventilation sufficiently aggressive to maintain partial pressure of carbon dioxide in blood (pCO₂) within normal limits can cause mechanical damage to...

Pulse oximetry provides a simple non-invasive method of monitoring the oxygenation status of patients by indirectly measuring the percentage of hemoglobin that is saturated with oxygen, i.e. % oxygen saturation (SpO₂). Pulse oximetry has important limitations, including inaccurate readings in patients with inherited...

Pleural effusion, defined as excess fluid in the pleural cavity, can complicate the course of a pathologically diverse range of common clinical conditions, including infectious and malignant disease of the lung, heart failure, cirrhosis, pancreatitis and rheumatoid arthritis. Microbiological, cytological and chemical...

Updated with new information from a 2008 article! Health demands that despite quite significant variation in its rate of production, the amount of carbon dioxide in blood is maintained within well-defined narrow limits. The homeostatic mechanisms that maintain the normal content of carbon dioxide in blood are...

Arterial oxygen saturation sO₂(a) is a parameter calculated during blood gas analysis that is useful for monitoring respiratory function. Pulse oximetry provides a safer and more convenient, non-invasive means of measuring oxygen saturation that is used in many clinical settings.  The value of pulse oximetry depends...

Umbilical cord blood gas analysis provides objective evidence of neonatal condition at birth; a particular utility of the test is to identify those babies who have suffered significant oxygen deficit prior to delivery. Traditional obstetric practice is to clamp the umbilical cord within seconds of delivery but some...

With the use of a new Data Management System (DMS) software program [1], the majority of Point Of Care Testing (POCT) equipment throughout the Waikato District Health Board region has been connected to the Laboratory Information System (LIS) and the Hospital Information System (HIS). Prior to the new DMS, viewing...

Two very different reviews of acid-base pathophysiology are recently published. The first, written by a nurse educator is a comprehensive overview and serves as an introduction to the topic. The approach is familiar and reflects standard physiology texts.  After a very brief synthesis of the significance of...