These include bleeding, infection, bruising, and feeling lightheaded. When the needle pricks your arm or hand, you may feel a slight sting or pain. Afterward, the site may be sore. Eating acidic fruits could affect your results. Medicines that may raise your levels include:. You don't need to get ready for this test. Tell your healthcare provider about all medicines, herbs, vitamins, and supplements you are taking. This includes medicines that don't need a prescription and any illegal drugs you may use.
Search Encyclopedia. Bicarbonate Does this test have other names? Carbon dioxide test, CO2 test What is this test? Why do I need this test? What other tests might I have along with this test? You may also need several other tests. Alterations of bicarbonate HCO3 and carbon dioxide CO2 dissolved in plasma are characteristic of acid-base imbalance. The nature of the imbalance cannot, however, be inferred from the bicarbonate value itself, and the determination of bicarbonate is rarely ordered alone.
Its value has significance in the context of other electrolytes determined with it and in screening for electrolyte imbalance. Because the determination of bicarbonate HCO3 actually includes dissolved carbon dioxide CO2 , this fraction will escape from the specimen into the air once the stopper is removed from the vacutainer tube.
If the logistics in the lab are different for processing high-volume routine specimens from STAT specimens, the extent of the error is bicarbonate determinations will be different.
This is due to the length of time between removal of the stopper and sampling of the specimen for analysis. Fortunately, the errors in either case are relatively small and of little concern clinically. Maintaining the pH of blood is essential for normal bodily function. The results of ABG testing will often influence the treatment that patients receive. Therefore, a basic understanding of how to interpret ABG results can be useful for pharmacists to help them clarify the clinical picture.
The optimal physiological pH of extracellular fluid is 7. The following equilibrium equation is crucial to understanding acid-base balance:. It is the renal and respiratory systems that are responsible for maintaining the pH of the blood. One way that the body controls the pH of extracellular fluid is by increasing or decreasing the rate and depth of respiration and thereby the amount of CO 2 expelled ie, slow, shallow breathing retains more CO2 than fast, deep breathing.
The body has three main buffers that minimise any changes in pH that occur when acids or bases are added, namely haemoglobin, HCO3 — and proteins. However, HCO3 — is the most important buffer in the blood and is the dominant buffer in the interstitial fluid.
At an intracellular level buffering occurs instantly, but the effect is small. The following are the commonly reported parameters of ABG results see Box 2 for the normal reference ranges :. Other parameters commonly found on ABG reports are: haemoglobin, glucose and electrolytes sodium, potassium, chloride and ionised calcium.
The pH should be assessed first. A pH of less than 7. Having determined if the patient is acidotic or alkalotic, check the HCO3 — and the PaCO 2 to classify the results as follows:. It is possible for patients to have a mixed respiratory and metabolic alkalosis or acidosis. This occurs when primary respiratory and primary metabolic disturbances exist simultaneously. If the two processes oppose each other, pH derangement will be minimised see step 3.
Check to see if the patient is compensating for his or her acid-base imbalance.
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