Rhea, confused and short breath, is brought to the emergency department by a family member. The medical history reveals chronic bronchitis and hypertension. To learn more about the current respiratory problem, the doctor orders a chest x-ray and arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis. When reviewing the ABG report, the nurses see many abbreviations. What does a lowercase “a” in ABG value present?
A. Acid-base balance
B. Arterial Blood
C. Arterial oxygen saturation
D. Alveoli
Correct Answer: B. Arterial Blood
A lowercase “a” in an ABG value represents arterial blood. For instance, the abbreviation PaO2 refers to the partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood. Arterial blood gas analysis can be used to assess gas exchange and acid base status as well as to provide immediate information about electrolytes.
Option A: The pH value reflects the acid-base balance in arterial blood. pH is a logarithmic scale of the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution. It is inversely proportional to the concentration of hydrogen ions. When a solution becomes more acidic the concentration of hydrogen ions increases and the pH falls.
Option C: Sa02 indicates arterial oxygen saturation. Oxygen saturation (SaO2) is a measurement of the percentage of how much hemoglobin is saturated with oxygen. Oxygen is transported in the blood in two ways: oxygen dissolved in blood plasma (pO2) and oxygen bound to hemoglobin (SaO2). About 97% of oxygen is bound to hemoglobin while 3% is dissolved in plasma.
Option D: An uppercase “A” represents alveolar conditions: for example, PA02 indicates the partial pressure of oxygen in the alveoli. Partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2). This measures the pressure of oxygen dissolved in the blood and how well oxygen is able to move from the airspace of the lungs into the blood.
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