Discussion of acid-base physiology usually focuses mainly on the role of lungs and kidneys, and it is a disease that affects the function of these two organs that are usually invoked when considering, in general terms, acid-base disorders. As the authors of this review article make clear, the liver also plays an...

The gold standard sample for blood gas analysis is arterial blood. Compared with collection of venous or capillary blood, collection of arterial blood by arterial puncture is a painful procedure that can induce feelings of anxiety. The notion that this pain and anxiety could be a source of preanalytical error in blood ...

As the authors of this review article acknowledge, chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing public health burden around the world. Recent study, cited by the authors, suggests an estimated 14 % of the US population are now diagnosed with CKD, and 0.2 % have end-stage renal disease (ESRD), the most severe presentation ...

Monitoring patient acid-base status is one of three principal clinical utilities of blood gas analysis (the other two are monitoring patient oxygen and ventilation status). Three parameters generated during blood gas analysis (pH, pCO₂ and bicarbonate) allow this acid-base assessment and classification of all...

Reprinted with permission from Biochemia Medica. The journal of Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine. Biochemia Medica 2016;26(3):318-36  Blood gas analysis (BGA) is exposed to risks of errors caused by improper sampling, transport and storage conditions. The Clinical and Laboratory...

Blood gas analysis involves three measurements: blood pH, partial pressure of carbon dioxide in blood plasma (pCO₂) and partial pressure of oxygen in blood plasma (pO₂). The first two, pH and pCO₂ along with other derived (calculated) parameters (bicarbonate, base excess) generated during blood gas analysis allow...

The blood gas analyzer has an established role in the delivery suite of obstetric units. Measurement of umbilical cord blood pH and base excess provides objective evidence of the metabolic condition of newborn babies at the moment of birth.  Specifically, it allows identification of those with significant metabolic...

Nationwide harmonization of clinical laboratory practice is a stated strategic goal of the Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CSMBLM). In 2013, a CSMBLM working group conducted a nationwide survey of all aspects of blood gas testing practice in Croatian hospital laboratories.  This...

Dyspnea (alternative names: breathlessness and shortness of breath) is a common reason for individuals to seek medical help either in primary care or the hospital emergency room. The possible causes are legion, so that assessment of the patient complaining of breathlessness is a common and often difficult diagnostic...

Cardiac arrest, the ultimate medical emergency, is cessation of blood flow to all tissues due to sudden failure of the heart to contract (pump) effectively, evident as absence of a palpable carotid pulse. A major consequential symptom is ineffective or absent breathing and therefore no pulmonary gas exchange. Reduced...