Normal Results Values at sea level: Partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2): 75 to 100 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), or 10.5 to 13.5 kilopascal (kPa) Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2): 38 to 42 mm Hg (5.1 to 5.6 kPa) Arterial blood pH: 7.38 to 7.42.
Q. What is a normal ABG level?
An acceptable normal range of ABG values of ABG components are the following,[6][7] noting that the range of normal values may vary among laboratories and in different age groups from neonates to geriatrics: pH (7.35-7.45) PaO2 (75-100 mmHg) PaCO2 (35-45 mmHg)
Table of Contents
- Q. What is a normal ABG level?
- Q. What happens if ABG is low?
- Q. What do ABG results mean?
- Q. How do you present ABG results?
- Q. What is shown on an ABG?
- Q. How painful is an ABG?
- Q. How do you interpret a normal ABG pH?
- Q. What is normal pO2 on ABG?
- Q. What does it mean if pO2 is low?
- Q. What is pCO2 normal range?
- Q. How does temperature affect ABG results?
- Q. What are the signs of acidosis or alkalosis?
- Q. What causes acidosis?
- Q. What causes respiratory acidosis?
- Q. What happens when you have respiratory acidosis?
- Q. How do you detect respiratory alkalosis?
- Q. What are the symptoms of respiratory alkalosis?
- Q. What is the treatment of respiratory alkalosis?
- Q. How can I treat alkalosis at home?
- Q. Do you give oxygen to a hyperventilating patient?
- Q. Why is hyperventilating bad?
- Q. Can you pass out from hyperventilating?
- Q. Can lack of sleep cause low oxygen levels?
Q. What happens if ABG is low?
A test result of low bicarbonate and low pH (less than 7.35) is a condition called metabolic acidosis. Common causes are: kidney failure. severe diarrhea.
Q. What do ABG results mean?
An arterial blood gases (ABG) test measures the acidity (pH) and the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood from an artery. This test is used to find out how well your lungs are able to move oxygen into the blood and remove carbon dioxide from the blood.
Q. How do you present ABG results?
How to present an ABG
- State that this is an arterial blood gas sample (rather than venous).
- State the patients name and outline history/pertinent examination findings.
- State the time the sample was taken and how much oxygen the patient was on at the time.
Q. What is shown on an ABG?
An ABG is a blood test that measures the acidity, or pH, and the levels of oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) from an artery. ² The test is used to check the function of the patient’s lungs and how well they are able to move oxygen into the blood and remove carbon dioxide.
Q. How painful is an ABG?
Most people feel a brief, sharp pain as the needle to collect the blood sample enters the artery. If you get a local anesthetic, you may feel nothing at all from the needle puncture. Or you may feel a brief sting or pinch as the needle goes through the skin.
Q. How do you interpret a normal ABG pH?
The first value is the pH, which measures how many hydrogen ions (H+) are in the sample. This determines if the blood is acidotic or alkalotic. Normal values for pH range from 7.35 – 7.45….Normal ABG Levels.
| pH | Hydrogen | 7.35 – 7.45 |
|---|---|---|
| PaCO2 | Carbon dioxide | 35 – 45 mmHg |
| HCO3- | Bicarbonate | 22 – 26 mmol/L |
Q. What is normal pO2 on ABG?
ABG (Arterial Blood Gas)
| pH | 7.35–7.45 | |
|---|---|---|
| pCO2 | 35–45 torr | 4.5–6.0 kPa |
| pO2 | >79 torr | >10.5 kPa |
| CO2 | 23-30 mmol/L | |
| Base excess/deficit | ± 3 mEq/L | ± 2 mmol/L |
Q. What does it mean if pO2 is low?
Impaired oxygen exchange in the alveoli, as in pneumonia, pulmonary edema, or pulmonary embolism, primarily causes hypoxemia (low oxygen levels), with decreased pCO2 and increased pH > 7.45 (respiratory alkalosis)….When the ABG is not available.
| SpO2 (percent) | pO2 (mmHg) |
|---|---|
| 95 | 80 |
| 96 | 90 |
Q. What is pCO2 normal range?
The partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2) is the measure of carbon dioxide within arterial or venous blood. It often serves as a marker of sufficient alveolar ventilation within the lungs. Generally, under normal physiologic conditions, the value of PCO2 ranges between 35 to 45 mmHg, or 4.7 to 6.0 kPa.
Q. How does temperature affect ABG results?
Two other effects of change in body temperature are relevant to blood gas analysis: shifts in the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve; and altered oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production.
Q. What are the signs of acidosis or alkalosis?
Some of the common symptoms of metabolic acidosis include the following:
- rapid and shallow breathing.
- confusion.
- fatigue.
- headache.
- sleepiness.
- lack of appetite.
- jaundice.
- increased heart rate.
Q. What causes acidosis?
Acidosis is caused by an overproduction of acid that builds up in the blood or an excessive loss of bicarbonate from the blood (metabolic acidosis) or by a buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood that results from poor lung function or depressed breathing (respiratory acidosis).
Q. What causes respiratory acidosis?
Respiratory acidosis involves a decrease in respiratory rate and/or volume (hypoventilation). Common causes include impaired respiratory drive (eg, due to toxins, CNS disease), and airflow obstruction (eg, due to asthma, COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease], sleep apnea, airway edema).
Q. What happens when you have respiratory acidosis?
Respiratory acidosis is a serious medical condition that occurs when the lungs can’t remove all of the carbon dioxide produced by the body through normal metabolism. The blood becomes acidified, leading to increasingly serious symptoms, from sleepiness to coma.
Q. How do you detect respiratory alkalosis?
Examine the PaCO2 level. A PaCO2 elevation (over 45 mmHg), along with a decrease in pH, indicates respiratory acidosis. A PaCO2 decrease (under 35 mmHg), along with elevated pH, indicates respiratory alkalosis. The HCO3 level is normal with both respiratory imbalances.
Q. What are the symptoms of respiratory alkalosis?
Symptoms of respiratory alkalosis
- dizziness.
- bloating.
- feeling lightheaded.
- numbness or muscle spasms in the hands and feet.
- discomfort in the chest area.
- confusion.
- dry mouth.
- tingling in the arms.
Q. What is the treatment of respiratory alkalosis?
Treatment is aimed at the condition that causes respiratory alkalosis. Breathing into a paper bag — or using a mask that causes you to re-breathe carbon dioxide — sometimes helps reduce symptoms when anxiety is the main cause of the condition.
Q. How can I treat alkalosis at home?
Metabolic alkalosis is usually treated by replacing water and electrolytes (sodium and potassium) while treating the cause. Rarely, when metabolic alkalosis is very severe, dilute acid is given intravenously. In respiratory alkalosis, the first step is to ensure that the person has enough oxygen.
Q. Do you give oxygen to a hyperventilating patient?
Supplemental oxygen will not worsen the hyperventilation, and it is vital for patients who are hypoxic. Waveform capnography is especially useful in assessing patients who are hyperventilating.
Q. Why is hyperventilating bad?
Low carbon dioxide levels lead to narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain. This reduction in blood supply to the brain leads to symptoms like lightheadedness and tingling in the fingers. Severe hyperventilation can lead to loss of consciousness.
Q. Can you pass out from hyperventilating?
It causes a decrease in the amount of a gas in the blood (called carbon dioxide, or CO2). This decrease may make you feel lightheaded, have a rapid heartbeat, and be short of breath. It also can lead to numbness or tingling in your hands or feet, anxiety, fainting, and sore chest muscles.
Q. Can lack of sleep cause low oxygen levels?
Everyone’s oxygen levels in the blood are lower during sleep, due to a mildly reduced level of breathing. Also, some alveoli drop out of use during sleep. If your waking oxygen saturation is greater than about 94 percent on room air, it is unlikely that your saturation during sleep will fall below 88 percent.
