How to interpret an ABG

In the previous post, we saw the basics of how to read a ABG report.  In this one, we’ll go through metabolic causes, all its different causes and the importance of calculating anion gap.

Hello and welcome to this article on how to go about interpreting an ABG report. If you’ve found yourself to this page, i can safely assume that you are among the hundreds of medicos who, including myself at one point of time, find ABG reports extremely confusing to interpret. But not to worry, at the end of this article, you will find yourself much more comfortable and wanting to interpret more and more ABG reports and looking to dazzle your peers with your newly acquired skills! So lets get started! Most ABG analysers will give u data of 5 main parameters: 1. pH 2. pCO2 3. HCO3 4. PO2 5. Base excess Some analysers will also give you details about the Sodium, Potassium and chloride values of the blood sample. So how to we proceed? Here’s a summary of the steps that we will follow Step 1: See the pH Step 2: See the pCO2 Step 3: See the HCO3 Step 4: Determine whether it is a primarily respiratory or a metabolic disorder Step 5: Check for compensation Step 6: Determine the secondary Acid