Ways That Blood Gas Levels Improve

    Arterial blood gas (ABG) measures a variety of things that can indicate how well a patient's lungs are functioning and delivering oxygen to the blood and the body. It can also be used to test for acute and chronic disease processes. Each aspect of the ABG has its own reference range and bringing the levels back to normal will improve the health of the patient and any subsequent readings.


      pH 
      The pH of the blood measures how many hydrogen ions are present, which reflects the blood's acidity. Normal arterial blood pH is between 7.35 and 7.45. pH can be elevated if the patient is anxious or in pain, anemic, in shock, in congestive heart failure or suffering from pulmonary disease. It can be too low if the patient is obese, ketoacidotic due to diabetes, is starving or has diarrhea, is having severe pulmonary issues or is in cardiac arrest or otherwise experiencing severe heart problems. Some of these symptoms can be corrected or treated immediately while others take more time to address. pH levels return to normal only after the problem is addressed.


      pCO2
     Partial pressure of carbon dioxide is normally between 35-45 torr and indicates how much carbon dioxide is dissolved in the blood. Pulmonary edema and obstructive lung disorders can cause increased pCO2 levels. Decreased levels can mean that the patient is pregnant, hyperventilating or suffering from hypoxia, anxiety or a pulmonary embolism. An abnormal pCO2 reading can be life-threatening.
      pO2
      pO2 is similar to pCO2 in that it measures the amount of oxygen in the blood and is directly indicative of how well the lungs are oxygenating and delivering oxygen to the body. The most serious complications of an abnormal pO2 reading arise when levels are not high enough. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart decompensation and restrictive pulmonary disease are all chronic problems that can cause low pO2 levels. Long-term treatment may bring levels up but usually not within normal range (30-40 torr).


      CO2 Content
      This aspect of a blood gas test measures all of the carbon dioxide present in the blood. Chronic respiratory disease (increased CO2 levels) and kidney disease (decreased CO2 levels) are indicated by an abnormal reading. These should be treated right away although they may last for the long-term. Normal range is 23-30 mmol/L.


      Base Excess or Deficit
       Base excess or deficit indicates the metabolic waste present in the blood. Normal values are plus or minus 3 mEq/L. Negative abnormal values indicate lactic acidosis, ketoacidosis, shock or cardiopulmonary failure while positive values above normal point to diarrhea, hemorrhage or loss of buffer base. These all require immediate attention but do not usually turn into chronic problems if the person follows doctor's orders.


      SO2
      Oxygen saturation should be greater than 94 percent and is a measure of how well the lungs are passing oxygen to the body. For example, a low oxygen saturation can be due to chronic pulmonary disease or lung failure and can be corrected with the use of portable oxygen. SO2 is not always measured in an ABG.