Understanding Blood Gas Interpretation

Blood gases are the most common and one of the most important laboratory values performed in the neonatal intensive care unit. Because of technological advances including surfactant and high-frequency ventilation, the need for immediate responses to rapidly changing clinical conditions is of utmost importance. An arterial or capillary blood gas is a clinical tool for determining an infant's pulmonary and metabolic status. An infant can easily be overventilated, underventilated, or metabolically unstable, which can affect their long-term outcome. Therefore, nurses need to have a basic understanding of acid-base physiology and accurate interpretation skills to be a competent and skilled neonatal intensive care unit nurse. This article presents a brief review of blood gas interpretation.