Arterial blood gas interpretation worksheet with answers

Free printable Arterial blood gas interpretation worksheet: 6 problems from easy to exam level, with an answer key. Print it or save it as a PDF.

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Name: ____________________   Date: ____________

1.Easy
pH7.357.457.55PaCO₂mmHg354541HCO₃⁻mmol/L222635respiratorymetabolicacidosisalkalosis

A practice arterial blood gas shows pH 7.55, PaCO₂ 41 mmHg (5.5 kPa) and HCO₃⁻ 35 mmol/L. Which primary disorder is it? Click the cell in the grid.

pH 7.55PaCO₂ 41 mmHg (5.5 kPa)HCO₃⁻ 35 mmol/L
  1. 1respiratory acidosis
  2. 2metabolic acidosis
  3. 3respiratory alkalosis
  4. 4metabolic alkalosis
2.Easy
pH7.357.457.29PaCO₂mmHg354541HCO₃⁻mmol/L222619respiratorymetabolicacidosisalkalosis

A practice arterial blood gas shows pH 7.29, PaCO₂ 41 mmHg (5.5 kPa) and HCO₃⁻ 19 mmol/L. Which primary disorder is it? Click the cell in the grid.

pH 7.29PaCO₂ 41 mmHg (5.5 kPa)HCO₃⁻ 19 mmol/L
  1. 1respiratory acidosis
  2. 2metabolic acidosis
  3. 3respiratory alkalosis
  4. 4metabolic alkalosis
3.Medium

A practice gas shows a metabolic acidosis with HCO₃⁻ 12 mmol/L. Use Winter’s formula to find the expected PaCO₂ (the centre of the range) in mmHg.

HCO₃⁻ 12 mmol/L
PaCO₂ = mmHg
4.Medium

A practice gas shows PaCO₂ 60 mmHg (8.0 kPa). Use the rule that in acute respiratory acidosis HCO₃⁻ rises by 1 mmol/L for every 10 mmHg that PaCO₂ is above 40, starting from HCO₃⁻ 24 mmol/L, to find the expected HCO₃⁻.

PaCO₂ 60 mmHg (8.0 kPa)baseline: 40 mmHg, 24 mmol/L
HCO₃⁻ = mmol/L
5.Hard
pH7.357.457.17PaCO₂mmHg354517HCO₃⁻mmol/L22266appropriate compensationadded respiratory acidosisadded respiratory alkalosis

A practice gas shows a metabolic acidosis: pH 7.17, PaCO₂ 17 mmHg (2.3 kPa), HCO₃⁻ 6 mmol/L. Compare the measured PaCO₂ with Winter’s formula. Click your interpretation.

pH 7.17PaCO₂ 17 mmHg (2.3 kPa)HCO₃⁻ 6 mmol/L
  1. 1appropriate compensation
  2. 2added respiratory acidosis
  3. 3added respiratory alkalosis
6.Hard

A practice gas shows a metabolic alkalosis with HCO₃⁻ 33 mmol/L. Use expected PaCO₂ = 0.7·HCO₃⁻ + 21 to find the expected PaCO₂.

HCO₃⁻ 33 mmol/L
PaCO₂ = mmHg

Answer key

  1. 1. metabolic alkalosis
  2. 2. metabolic acidosis
  3. 3. PaCO₂ = 26 mmHg
  4. 4. HCO₃⁻ = 26 mmol/L
  5. 5. appropriate compensation
  6. 6. PaCO₂ = 44.1 mmHg

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