Abstract
Arterial blood gas (ABG) sampling is routinely performed in major trauma patients to assess the severity of hemorrhagic shock. Compared to venous blood gas (VBG), ABG is an additional procedure with risks of hematoma and pain. We aim to determine if pH, base deficit (BD), and lactate from VBG and ABG in trauma patients are clinically equivalent. If proven, the need for ABG and its associated risks can be eliminated. This prospective observational study was conducted in the Emergency Department of National University Hospital, Singapore, between February and October 2016. We correlated paired ABG and VBG results in adult trauma patients. VBG and ABG were obtained within 10min and processed within 5min using a point-of-care blood gas analyzer. Bland-Altman plot analysis was used to evaluate the agreement between peripheral VBG and ABG in terms of pH, base deficit and lactate. There were 102 patients included, with a median age of 34 (interquartile range 28-46) years and male predominance (90.2%). Majority of patients sustained blunt trauma (96.1%), and had injuries of Tier 1 and Tier 2 severity (60/102, 58.8%). Bland-Altman plot analyses demonstrated that only 72.6% of venous pH and 76.5% of venous BD lie within the pre-defined clinically acceptable limits of agreement, whereas 96.0% of venous lactate was within these limits. Venous and arterial pH and BD are not within clinically acceptable limits of agreement, and ABG should be obtained for accurate acid-base status. However, venous lactate may be an acceptable substitute for arterial lactate.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.