1005 Advanced Blood Gas Analysis (NURSES)

Learning Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Relate arterial blood gas results to the abnormal physiologic processes underlying cardiopulmonary dysfunction.
• Classify the four types of acid-base imbalance according to underlying causes.
• Review the body’s mechanisms of compensation for acid-base imbalance.
• Compare and contrast hypoxia and hypoxemia.
• Examine various calculations which utilize arterial blood gas results and relate their clinical significance, such as the A-a gradient, arterial oxygen content, mixed venous oxygen content and the shunt equation.
• Review case studies, interpret the results of the arterial blood gas and describe the suggested course of action.