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Test Code PHA pH Arterial

Additional Codes

Cerner

NextGen

PH Arterial

PH Arterial

Useful For

Base Excess and Base Deficit, define acid-base status.

Methodology

Potentiometric

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

UNITS

AGE

REFERENCE RANGE

CRITICAL VALUES

Low

High

 

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

 

Reflex Testing

None

Limitations

  • Air bubbles must be removed from the sample immediately.  Contamination with room air will affect results.
  • 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.
  • The substances listed below showed an interference with CO-Oximetry/tBili analytes causing a clinically significant error (> TEa).