Deciphering ABG's

1 Does anyone have an easy, understandable way to decipher ABG's? Metabolic acidosis/alkalosis vs. Respiratory acidosis/alkalosis? This stuff is looking like a foriegn language to me!! Then they throw in this Compensated and uncompensated?? I'm totally lost. Any help would be appreciated.
this is from an earlier thread:http://allnurses.com/forums/f205/eas...-s-144947.html

ABG's are pretty easy to interpret. don't let them intimidate you. do it in steps.....Ph, acidotic or alkaloticCo2, high or low or normalO2, high or low or normalHCO3, high or low or normalBE, high or low or normalthe answer to these questions will tell you if it's acidosis or alkalosis. a normal Ph is compensated. the CO2/O2 will tell you if it's a respitory component. the HCO3/BE will tell you if it's metabolic.

if pH is low (<7.4) it is acidosis...you are LOW when on ACIDif pH is high (>7.4) it is alkalosisCO2 and HCO3 will tell you whether it is a respiratory or metabolic problem. You breathe off CO2 (respiratory) and you need HCO3 for your stomach (metabolic)If CO2 is elevated and pH is low...respiratory acidosis.If CO2 is low and pH is elevated...respiratory alkalosis.If HCO3 is elevated and pH is elevated...metabolic alkalosis.If HCO3 is low and pH is low...metabolic acidosis.Respiratory complications - CO2 and pH are in the opposite directionMetabolic complications - HCO3 and pH are in the equal directionHope this helps a little bit when evaluating ABGs. I found them hard in school, but feel more comfortable now after finding tips!

Quote from WillBRN2009Does anyone have an easy, understandable way to decipher ABG's? Metabolic acidosis/alkalosis vs. Respiratory acidosis/alkalosis? This stuff is looking like a foriegn language to me!! Then they throw in this Compensated and uncompensated?? I'm totally lost. Any help would be appreciated.

My 1st step is to line everything up on my trusty paper towel:pH 7.35-7.45CO2 45-35HCO3 22-26I then put a dot in the respective place for each value (yes, the CO2 is flipped around, this puts acidosis on the left and alkalosis on the right for all values). I can then quickly figure out acidosis vs alkalosis, resp vs met vs mixed and comp vs uncomp. Then follow mcknis's rules and you should be good to go.

Quote from WillBRN2009Does anyone have an easy, understandable way to decipher ABG's? Metabolic acidosis/alkalosis vs. Respiratory acidosis/alkalosis? This stuff is looking like a foriegn language to me!! Then they throw in this Compensated and uncompensated?? I'm totally lost. Any help would be appreciated.

remember "go to ROME" Respiratory opposite, metabolic equal"but if you're in the baby land those numbers aren't quite the same. Acidotic numbers for adults are okay for premies!

One of the greatest teacher i ever had taught it this way, and it is super-easy. Go over this a few times, and you will have a basic understanding:First, you already know that the ph of blood is 7.35-7.45. Anything less than 7.35 will be acidosis, and anything above 7.45 will be alkalosis.PaCO2 (parital pressure of carbon dioxide) 35-45-Think of CO2 as an acid. The higher it is, the more acidic. Since CO2 is removed by the lungs, it is the respiratory component.HCO3 (bicarbonate) 22-26-Think of HCO3 as a base, or alkalotic. The higher the number, the more alkalotic, and the lower the number, the more acidotic. Since HCO3 is removed by the kidneys, it is the metabolic component.ph- 7.49PaCO2- 44HCO3- 28To get your answer, pick the component that matches the ph. Since the ph is akalotic, and the HCO3 is alkalotic, your answer is metabolic alkalosis.ph- 7.32PaCO2- 47HCO3- 27To get your answer, pick the component that matches the ph. Since the ph is acidotic, and the PaCO2 is acidotic, your answer is respiratory acidosis. Had the HCO3 been acidotic as well (<22), then you would have both respiratory and metabolic acidosis.In the problem above notice that the HCO3 has risen above normal. It is adding more base to try and neutralize the acid. Since the ph is still abnormal, this is considered partially compensated respiratory acidosis.If the HCO3 were normal (22-26), it would be uncompensated.ph- 7.44PaCO2- 48HCO3- 29The ph is normal, but since the others are not, you look at which way it is leaning. Since the ph is closer to an alkalotic state, and the HCO3 is high, there was initially metabolic alkalosis. PaCO2 has risen to compensate for this, bringing the ph back to normal. Thus you have fully compensated metabolic alkalosis.:spin:

the student help weblinks on how to read and interpret abgs are listed on poat #46 of the pathophysiology/ a & p/ microbiology/ fluid & electrolyte resources sticky thread in nursing student assistance forum. it includes tutorials on how to read and interpret abg results.http://allnurses.com/forums/f205/pat...es-145201.htmlpost #46 - http://allnurses.com/forums/2488838-post46.html

R O M ERespiratory Opposite Metabolic EqualROME

Thank you, I started flipping the PaCO2 after I read this and it does make more sense to me by having them on the same sides. Quote from emtb2rnMy 1st step is to line everything up on my trusty paper towel:pH 7.35-7.45CO2 45-35HCO3 22-26I then put a dot in the respective place for each value (yes, the CO2 is flipped around, this puts acidosis on the left and alkalosis on the right for all values). I can then quickly figure out acidosis vs alkalosis, resp vs met vs mixed and comp vs uncomp. Then follow mcknis's rules and you should be good to go.

<bump> great info!!