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Blood Gas Assignment

Last updated on July 20, 2025

Student Assignment: Real-World Blood Gas Analysis

If you don’t work in the clinical space at the moment, that is also ok – you don’t need to have a blood gas from a patient you have treated – though you can if you have access to one or two – you can find one in a patient case report on the internet or ask a friend for a blood gas. If you struggle, please email info@epicem.co.za and we will share some options with you.

Objective:

Apply your understanding of acid-base interpretation by selecting two real arterial blood gases, analyzing them using the step-by-step approach taught in this course, and formulating a treatment plan.

Instructions

🔹 Step 1: Select Two Cases

  1. Find two real arterial blood gases (from clinical experience, case studies, or shared databases).
  2. You may anonymize if taken from real patients.
  3. Choose cases with different types of acid-base disturbances (e.g., one metabolic, one respiratory, or one mixed picture).

🔹 Step 2: Present the Clinical Picture

For each case, provide:

  1. Age and weight (estimated if not known)
  2. Presenting complaint
  3. Relevant history
  4. Vital signs:
  5. HR, BP, RR, Temp, SpO₂
  6. Oxygen device and FiO₂
  7. GCS or mental status if relevant

🔹 Step 3: Analyze the Blood Gas

Use the full assessment framework:

  1. Assess the pH → Acidosis or alkalosis?
  2. Determine the primary disturbance → Metabolic vs. respiratory
  3. Check for compensation
  4. Calculate the Anion Gap (AG):
  5. AG = Na⁺ – (Cl⁻ + HCO₃⁻)
  6. Calculate the Strong Ion Difference (SID) (if electrolytes are available):
  7. SID = (Na⁺ + K⁺) – Cl⁻
  8. Interpret Lactate and BE
  9. Correlate with the clinical picture:
  10. Does the gas make sense?
  11. Is there a mixed disorder?

🔹 Step 4: Make Treatment Recommendations

Based on your interpretation:

  1. Immediate clinical priorities
  2. Treatable causes of the acid-base issue
  3. Fluid recommendations (e.g., avoid normal saline, use Plasma-Lyte?)
  4. Drug or ventilation needs
  5. Need for escalation (ICU, dialysis, intubation, etc.)

🔹 Step 5: Define Clinical Endpoints

Set specific goals for the patient based on your case:

  1. pH target
  2. pCO₂ range (if ventilated or chronically retaining)
  3. Target lactate/base excess
  4. Oxygenation goal (e.g., SpO₂ or pO₂)
  5. Hemodynamic targets (e.g., MAP > 65 mmHg)

🔹 Step 6: Reflect on the Gas

In 4–6 sentences:

  1. Did the blood gas match the clinical picture?
  2. What surprised you?
  3. What did the gas teach you about the patient?
  4. Would you change anything about the management plan?

Submission Format

You may submit:

  1. Typing straight into the assignment submission area or uploading a PDF with the information you have worked on.

You can submit this assignment up to 1 year after enrolling in this course – CPD points are only allocated once the quiz and assignment are complete!