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Test Code ABG Arterial Blood Gases

Additional Codes

Cerner

NextGen

Blood Gases Arterial

Blood Gases Arterial

ABG

 

Alternate Name(s)

ABG

Blood Gases Arterial

Useful For

Blood gas measurements help to evaluate oxygenation and acid base status.

  • pH, pCO2, HCO3–, TCO2, Base Excess and Base Deficit, define acid-base status.
  • pO2 and O2 Content indicates oxygen.
  • CO-oximetry evaluates the ability of the blood to carry oxygen by measuring total hemoglobin and the percentage of functional and dysfunctional hemoglobin species. 
  • Oxyhemoglobin (O2Hb) [OSAT]: The proportion of Hb that is oxygen-loaded.

Methodology

  •   Potentiometric
    • pH
    • pCO2
  • Amperometric
    • pO2
  • Calculated
    • HCO3
    • Base Excess
    • 02 Saturation

Patient Preparation

None

Collection Instructions

  • Specimens should be collected according to clinical policies and procedures.
  • Arterial Blood Gas specimens drawn in plastic syringes should not be iced, they should be kept at room temperature and analyzed within 30 minutes of collection (Per NCCLS C46-A, Vol. 21 No.14, Sect 4.2.1.).

Specimen Requirements

Minimum Volume

150 µL

Container

Heparinized Syringe free of air bubbles

Stability

Within 30 minutes of collection

Rejection Criteria

The Laboratory will not accept specimens in syringes with needles -- the syringe must be capped with a rubber stopper. 

Result Reporting and Reference Values

TEST

UNITS

AGE

REFERENCE RANGE

CRITICAL VALUES

Low

High

  pH ARTERIAL

pH units

0D-30D

7.25

--

7.49

<7.2

>7.57

30D-60D

7.32

--

7.43

<7.2

>7.57

60D-2Y

7.34

--

7.43

<7.2

>7.57

2Y-150Y

7.34

--

7.46

<7.2

>7.57

  pCO2 ARTERIAL

mmHG

0D-60D

27

--

40

<20

>70

60D-2Y

26

--

41

<20

>70

2Y-18Y

36

--

40

<20

>70

18Y-150Y

34

--

41

<20

>70

  pO2 ARTERIAL

mmHG

0D-30D

60

--

90

<40

>200

30D-150Y

80

--

100

<40

>200

  HCO3 ARTERIAL

mEq/L

0D-30D

17

--

24

N/A

N/A

30D-60D

19

--

24

N/A

N/A

60D-2Y

16

--

24

N/A

N/A

2Y-16Y

21

--

27

N/A

N/A

16Y-150Y

21

--

28

N/A

N/A

  BASE EXCESS ARTERIAL

mmol/L

0D-30D

-10

--

2

N/A

N/A

30D-2Y

-7

--

2

N/A

N/A

2Y-10Y

-2.3

--

2

N/A

N/A

10Y-150Y

-2

--

2

N/A

N/A

  O2 SATURATION ARTERIAL

%

0D-150Y

90

--

98

<55

>100

Reflex Testing

None

Limitations

  • Air bubbles must be removed from the sample immediately.  Contamination with room air will affect results.
  • If a patient is on room air and pO2 + pCO2 is greater than 150 mmHg the laboratory will call and recommend the ABG be redrawn due to possible contamination.
  • Clotting and dilutional effects may be present if the sample collection technique is not performed correctly.
  • The presence of unknown interfering substances, clots or other foreign matter within the blood sample that alters the optical spectrum will result in higher levels of residual spectrum. A sample with an absorbance error will not be reported.
  • Anticoagulants such as EDTA, citrate, oxalate, or fluoride will not be accepted since they significantly affect pH and Ionized Calcium.
  • The substances listed below showed an interference with CO-Oximetry/tBili analytes causing a clinically significant error (> TEa).