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Articles and journal scans about Blood gases/acid-base
Journal Scan
October 2013
On the relationship between potassium and acid-base balance
The notion that acid-base and potassium homeostasis are linked is well known. Students of laboratory medicine will learn that in general acidemia (reduced blood pH) is associated with increased plasma potassium concentration (hyperkalemia), whilst alkalemia (increased blood pH) is associated with reduced plasma...
Blood gases/acid-base
Electrolytes
Article
October 2013
Optimizing blood gas testing
Article reprinted with permission from NP Communications LLC/Medical Laboratory Observer, September 2013.
Laboratorians responsible for arterial blood gas testing are focusing on sample integrity, operator safety, data accuracy, and workflow efficiency.
Process optimization
Point-of-care testing
Quality assurance
Blood gases/acid-base
Article
July 2013
A regional program for POCT service to emergency departments – results and remaining challenges
In a regional top-management decision, our laboratory was given the mission to control and quality assure all POCT activities in a regional network of 10 hospitals with emergency units. Based on previous work, new region-wide recommendations, procurements, IT connectivity, services, training, accreditation (ISO...
Process optimization
Point-of-care testing
Blood gases/acid-base
Glucose
Lactate
Creatinine/urea
D-dimer
CRP
Journal Scan
July 2013
Record-breaking blood pH - survival following extreme acidosis
Normal cellular metabolism and function require that blood pH be maintained within narrow limits, 7.35-7.45. Even mild excursion outside this range has deleterious effect, and pH of less than 6.8 or greater than 7.8 is considered – according to medical and physiology texts – incompatible with life. Such a view is...
Blood gases/acid-base
Journal Scan
July 2013
Improving nurse understanding of blood gas analysis
According to the nurse authors of this valuable review article, nurses working in intensive care units often have difficulty understanding the intricacies of acid-base balance as well as interpreting the results of blood gas analysis relating to the critically ill patients in their care. To address this issue and...
Blood gases/acid-base
Journal Scan
July 2013
Timing of sampling for blood gases following change in oxygen therapy
Patients with chronic obstruction pulmonary disease (COPD) may need long-term oxygen therapy, monitored with blood gas analysis (pO2(a) and sO2(a)). It is important that when adjustments are made to this therapy (either increase or decrease in fraction inspired oxygen, FIO2) there should be delay until a new steady...
Blood gases/acid-base
Preanalytical phase
Article
June 2013
How to optimize patient flow and outcome in ED - The impact of point of care
Emergency Department (ED) overcrowding is becoming an increasingly international issue.
Although the problem is not only resolved by ED change management (but rather requires a system-wide solution recognizing the complex interdependencies of consumer expectations, human resources, information systems immaturity and...
Point-of-care testing
Process optimization
Blood gases/acid-base
Electrolytes
Cardiac markers
Glucose
Hemoglobins
Bilirubin
D-dimer
Troponins
Journal Scan
April 2013
Help towards a better understanding of blood gas results
By comparison with other patient data generated in clinical laboratories, arterial blood gas results are commonly perceived by students and junior clinical staff to be among the most difficult to understand and interpret. Help is at hand. In a recent, easily comprehended article the authors provide a logical stepwise...
Blood gases/acid-base
Journal Scan
April 2013
Hemolysis in samples for blood gas analysis
Hemolysis causes clinically significant bias in four of twelve parameters generated during blood gas analysis. That is the headline finding of a recently published study that is, according to the authors, the first ever to investigate the effect of hemolysis on blood gas analytes. Venous blood was sampled from nine...
Blood gases/acid-base
Preanalytical phase
Article
April 2013
Why measure blood gases? A three-part introduction for the novice. Part 3.
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...
Blood gases/acid-base
Creatinine/urea