title: Understanding arterial blood gases.
abstract: Arterial blood gases are useful in establishing acid-base status, determining the degree of impairment of the lungs as a gas exchanger, diagnosing such important phenomena as pulmonary emboli and implementing or adjusting oxygen therapy. The balance among H+, HCO3- and CO2 is represented by the equation H+ + HCO3- in equilibrium CO2 + H2O. Primary alterations of either component of the left-hand side of the equation result in metabolic acid-base balance disturbances; primary alterations of CO2 result in respiratory acid-base balance disturbances.
mesh_terms: D000137:Acid-Base Imbalance / Q000097:blood; D000138:Acidosis / Q000097:blood; D000142:Acidosis, Respiratory / Q000097:blood; D000471:Alkalosis / Q000097:blood; D000472:Alkalosis, Respiratory / Q000097:blood; D001639:Bicarbonates / Q000097:blood*; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000097:blood; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001639:Bicarbonates; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen