How Do You Interpret Arterial Blood Gases (ABG)?
Arterial blood gases (ABGs) are a set of laboratory tests done on a sample of blood from one of your arteries. They measure the balance between oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in your body. ABGs also indicate the balance between acids and bases in your body. Abnormal results can signal that you’re not getting enough oxygen when you inhale, not getting rid of enough carbon dioxide when you exhale, or are experiencing problems with various organs. The underlying problem may be a respiratory disorder, a metabolic problem such as uncontrolled diabetes or shock, and/or kidney disease. (See Reference 1) Review the ABG components. A complete ABG result lists the pH (acidity/alkalinity of your blood), PaO2 (partial pressure of oxygen dissolved in your blood), SaO2 (arterial oxygen saturation), HCO3 (bicarbonate level in your blood), and PaCO2 (amount of carbon dioxide dissolved in your blood). (See Reference 2) Assess the pH of your blood. The normal range for pH in arterial blood is 7.35
