ABG & Acid-Base

A systematic five-step method for arterial blood gas interpretation — pH, PaCO₂, HCO₃⁻, compensation, and oxygenation — with worked examples and the patterns RTs see at the bedside.

How lungs and kidneys compensate for acid-base disorders — Winter's formula, the expected-compensation rules, and how to catch a hidden second disorder.

When a venous or capillary gas can stand in for an arterial sample — how VBG and CBG values correlate with the ABG, where the agreement breaks down, and the clinical situations that still demand an arterial stick.

Recognizing when two or three acid-base disturbances coexist — using the expected-compensation windows, the anion gap, and the delta ratio to uncover a second or third process the pH alone conceals.

Side-by-side comparison of the eight core acid-base disorders — pH, PaCO₂, and HCO₃⁻ direction, common causes, and hallmark signs — with normal ABG ranges for quick bedside reference.

Expected compensation rules for the primary acid-base disorders — Winter's formula and the per-10-mmHg bicarbonate rules — with worked examples and the windows that reveal a second disorder.

The four primary acid-base disorders and what causes each — respiratory and metabolic acidosis and alkalosis — with the high- versus normal-anion-gap split for metabolic acidosis and the RT-relevant triggers.