ABG Analysis

Lessons Related To ABG Analysis
Master
Nursing Case Study for Pediatric Asthma
Take Quiz
Master
Nursing Care Plan (NCP) for Impaired Gas Exchange
Take Quiz

I love ABGs!

 

To me, there is nothing more enjoyable than looking at an ABG and contemplating over what changes we can make to improve the patient’s condition. 

  • Should we increase the vent rate?
  • Should we give some bicarb?
  • Up the pressure support?
  • Run a lactic acid?

 

All that might seem overwhelming at first but once you understand that the numbers align with actual data the patient is giving us . . . it almost becomes a mystery you are trying to solve.

 

With ABGs you are really trying to analyze and fix one of three things . . . Hydrogen, CO2, or Bicarb.

 

To help you with analyzing ABGs, we have created a cheatsheet that outlines:

  • What lab values you will see with a given ABG finding.
  • What assessment findings you will see.
  • Causes for the abnormality.
  • Possible solutions.