Primary assessment of patients admitted to the emergency ward using arterial blood gas

ABSTRACT

Background: Arterial blood gas study (ABG) is a point-of-care testing (POCT) diagnostic tool that can furnish metabolic and respiratory aberrations. This study was conducted systematically, to assess the metabolic and respiratory aberrations quickly and the scope for corrective treatment so that metabolic and respiratory abnormalities get corrected. Materials and Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was done among 150 cases admitted to the Department of Emergency Medicine during a three-month period where the study on ABG was done. Data was collected in the prescribed format and a stepwise interpretation of the ABG was done. The four primary disorders taken into consideration are metabolic acidosis, metabolic alkalosis, respiratory alkalosis, and respiratory acidosis Results: Out of 150 cases 82 had respiratory alkalosis, 51 had metabolic acidosis, ten had respiratory acidosis, and seven had metabolic alkalosis as a primary disorder. Conclusion: ABG analysis is a POCT diagnostic tool for analyzing various metabolic and respiratory aberrations and can also guide us in the scope for correction of the disorder.