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Clinical Pathology Laboratory - Available Test
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Blood Gases
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Blood gases provide more accurate information about acid-base and
oxygen status than the chemistry panel. Blood for blood gas samples
should be collected directly into heparinized syringes, kept anaerobic
(capped) and assayed as soon as possible. Changes in pH occur rapidly
in blood stored after sample collection, therefore samples should
be submitted promptly to the laboratory. For this reason, blood gases
should always be performed in the clinic or hospital and cannot be
sent out to a referral diagnostic laboratory.
We perform blood-gases here in Clinical Pathology, using a dedicated
blood-gas analyzer, the Radiometer ABL-600. This machine also measures
electrolytes, including ionized calcium, using ion-selective electrodes
on undiluted samples (direct potentiometry). When an ionized calcium
is measured with a blood gas (blood gas/lytes plus panel), the ionized
calcium is corrected for the pH. This is because ionized calcium values
are altered by pH (increase in states of acidosis). Furthermore, an
anion gap is calculated from the results. We have reference intervals
for dogs, cats, horses and cattle for venous blood only. In general,
arterial blood gases are preferred for blood gas measurement, especially
if you are concerned about the oxygen status of the animal. Venous
blood gas results differ from arterial blood gas results, because
the sample is affected by tissue metabolism. Therefore, the blood
is more acidic and the oxygen content lower in the venous circulation.
Click on the highlighted panel below to obtain more information about
the test components. For more information about blood gases and interpretation
of acid base abnormalities, refer to Bicarbonate under our Chemistry
Module. |
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| TEST |
COMPONENTS |
SPECIMEN REQUIREMENTS |
COMMENTS |
| Arterial blood gas |
pO2, pCO2, pH, bicarb., Tot. CO2, base excess |
1-3 ml heparinized blood (syringe sealed with a black cap
(no needles) or vacutainer) |
NO MICROTAINERS!
Bring to lab immediately after collection.
Remove needles from syringes!!
DO NOT leave the sample without notifying someone in the lab
that the sample has arrived. |
| Venous blood gas |
pO2, pCO2, pH, bicarb., Tot. CO2, base excess. |
see above |
see above |
| Blood gas/lytes plus panel |
pO2, pCO2, pH, bicarb., Tot. CO2, base excess, Na, K, Cl,
ICa, ICa @ pH 7.4, anion gap |
see above |
see above |
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