Blood Gas Analysis

25th March 2015.  
Carmelo Sgarlata, University of Pavia and Collegio A Volta.

The first seminar of the series Practical Medical Skills aimed primarily at College medical undergraduates will focus on Blood Gas Analysis and will take place in the College Lecture Theatre at 6.00 pm on March 25th. The poster of the series can be downloaded here.

Arterial blood gas analysis provides useful information regarding respiratory and metabolic pathology. The partial pressure of carbon dioxide, bicarbonate concen trations, and pH values indicates the presence or absence of primary or mixed respiratory and metabolic acidoses or alkaloses. The partial pressure of oxygen will reveal abnormalities in the oxygen content of blood and the presence or absence of hypoxemia. With the appropriate technique, radial arterial puncture for arterial blood gas analysis is a skill easily mastered by medical trainees.

References
Dev SP et al. Arterial puncture for blood gas analysis. N Engl J Med 364(5):e7 (2011)

Carmelo Sgarlata is a resident in geriatric medicine at the University of Pavia. His work is focused on the treatment and study of diseases of the elderly with particular regard to cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disease.  He has also a great interest in the use of Ultrasound in Internal Medicine. He is the author of more than 50 scientific publications on national and international journals and speaker at various conferences of national importance.

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