Hey there friend, in this video we are going to make YOU a PRO at ABG lab values.
So you won't be confused when you're staring at all of those arterial blood gas numbers
in a patient's chat, right, because those can be pretty overwhelming.
So I'm going to give you an easy breakdown of ABG values today.
And make sure to stick around all the way until the end of the video, because I've got
a free cheat sheet for you to help you rock ABG's.
Plus, there's also some ABG examples in there to help all of this make more sense.
So of course, subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss out on any other free stuff
I've got for you.
Let's do it!
Hey there friend, I'm Christina Rafano and welcome to the nursing school show.
And today we are diving into lab values, and specifically arterial blood gas values.
Alright, so there are 3 main lab values that you need to look for when it comes to arterial
blood gases: that's right, only 3!
good things come in 3's, right?!
So today's your lucky day, there are really only 3 ABG lab values that you'll need to
focus on, and they are: the pH, the PaCO2, and the HCO3.
Okay, so that just sounds like a bunch of confusing acronyms, right?
So we're going to break it down super easy for you.
The first arterial blood gas value we'll talk about is the pH level.
The pH is the balance of acid and base in your body.
So our bodies are always wanting to stay in balance right?
Too much acid is a bad thing, and too much base is a bad thing.
So a normal pH of the blood is between 7.35-7.45.
The lower the pH, the more ACIDIC it is.
the higher the pH, the more BASIC it is.
And here's a little trick on how to remember this: If you pour a bunch of battery acid
or some other kind of acid out, where does it go.
Well, gravity, right.
So it goes down.
But what if you crank up the bass in your car, it goes up and around everywhere, right,
gravity doesn't affect it.
So a more ACIDIC pH is LOWER, and a more BASIC pH is HIGHER.
So, an arterial blood gas pH lower than 7.4 is more acidic, and a pH higher than 7.4 is
more basic.
Now, leave a comment in the comments below and let me know what your favorite song is
to crank up the base to in your car.
I want to know your favorite song, so let me know in the comments below.
Alright, so now let's talk about the next arterial blood gas value, the PaCO2.
This stands for partial pressure of carbon dioxide.
And carbon dioxide is an ACID.
So the PaCO2 measures the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood, or the amount of ACID
in the blood.
Now, a normal PaCO2 is 35-45 mmHg.
So if it's higher than 45, then that means there is too much carbon dioxide in the blood,
meaning that there's too much ACID in the blood.
And if it's lower, that means that there's not enough carbon dioxide in the blood, or
not enough ACID in the blood.
Now, the PaCO2 lab value represents the LUNGS, because the lungs are in charge of balancing
carbon dioxide right, because they either retain it or get rid of it with breathing
patterns.
So if there is a higher PaCO2 level, you know that the lungs are retaining too much carbon
dioxide, and if it's lower, you know the lungs are getting rid of carbon dioxide.
So if the PaCO2 value is messed up, you need to look to see what's going on with the LUNGS,
because the PaCO2 value represents the LUNGS.
Now, did you check out that lab value?
Take a look at this fancy pants trick right here.
Yeah, that just happened.
If a normal pH is 7.35-7.45, than a normal carbon dioxide is 35-45.
Boom.
It's that easy!
So that should really help you remember it.
Now let's talk about the third and final arterial blood gas value: the HCO3 level.
This one represents the amount of BASE in the blood, the bicarbonate level.
A normal HCO3 lab value is 22-26 mEq/L. So if it's higher than 26, that means there is
too much bicarbonate in the arterial blood, meaning too much base.
If it's lower than 22, that means there's not enough bicarbonate, or not enough base
in the arterial blood.
Now, the HCO3 level represents the KIDNEYS.
The kidneys are in charge of making bicarbonate, so if this number is higher or lower than
normal, look at the kidneys.
Okay, so there are your 3 arterial blood gas values: the pH, which is normally 7.35-7.45,
the PaCO2, which is normally 35-45 mmHg, and it represents the LUNGS, and the HCO3 level,
which is normally 22-26 mEq/L, and it represents the KIDNEYS.
Now, if you want a deep dive into how to interpret a full arterial blood gas analysis, we have
a video all about that, so be sure to check that out.
And of course, don't forget to download the FREE cheat sheet I have for you that breaks
all of this down, so you can always remember these arterial blood gas values.
And now, I want to hear from YOU!
Let me know in the comments below what your favorite song is to crank up the bass to.
So tell me what your favorite song is in the comments below.
And of course, be sure to subscribe and hit that bell so you never miss a video.
Thanks so much for watching, friend, now go become the nurse that God created ONLY YOU
to be.
I'll catch you next time on the Nursing School Show.