ABGs: What patients need to know
The following was originally published at healthcentral.com/copd on June 29, 2015 What is an Arterial Blood Gas So you have COPD, and now your doctor wants you to have an Arterial Blood Gas (ABG). So what is an ABG, and how do the results benefit you? An ABG is a special blood draw that requires arterial blood, or freshly oxygenated blood from your lungs. The test shows your oxygen levels , which show how effective your lungs are at oxygenating, or taking the gas oxygen (O2) from the air you inhale and getting it into your bloodstream. These include. PaO2 . This is the partial pressure of arterial oxygen. Normal is 80-100, although greater than 60 is usually acceptable. SaO2 . This is how saturated your arterial blood is with oxygen (O2). Normal is 98%, although 90-100 is deemed acceptable. Sometimes 88-92 is acceptable for COPD. All the cells and tissues of your body, such as those that make up your heart, need oxygen to make the energy needed for them to function. L...