How do you interpret ABG base excess?

How do you interpret ABG base excess?

A high base excess (> +2mmol/L) indicates that there is a higher than normal amount of HCO3– in the blood, which may be due to a primary metabolic alkalosis or a compensated respiratory acidosis.

What is normal base excess on ABG?

Base excess or base deficit is characterized by the amount of base that is required to normalize the pH of the blood. Normal values range from -2 to +2 mEq/L.

What does a positive base excess mean?

In physiology, base excess and base deficit refer to an excess or deficit, respectively, in the amount of base present in the blood. The value is usually reported as a concentration in units of mEq/L (mmol/L), with positive numbers indicating an excess of base and negative a deficit.

What does base deficit mean on ABG?

A base deficit indicates an excess of acid. It refers to the amount of base needed to titrate a serum pH back to normal (healthy human-arterial blood pH varies between 7.35 and 7.45) when the contribution of respiratory factors is taken out of the equation. Base deficit is usually reported as a negative base excess.

What is standard base excess?

Standard Base Excess is an in vivo expression of base excess. It refers to a model of the extracellular fluid (the blood volume is diluted with the interstitial fluid) and is calculated using a standard value for the hemoglobin concentration (5 g/dL or 3 mmol/L) of the total extracellular fluid.

How do you read acid-base balance?

Interpreting the results The pH should be assessed first. A pH of less than 7.35 indicates acidosis and a pH greater than 7.45 indicates alkalosis.

Is base excess the same as bicarbonate?

Base excess (BE) measures all bases, not just bicarbonate. However, because bicarbonate is the greater part of the base buffer, for most practical interpretations, BE provides essentially the same information as bicarbonate.

Why do we use base excess?

Base excess of extracellular fluid is a quantity that reflects only the non-respiratory (metabolic) component of acid-base disturbances. It is the most used “non-respiratory” quantity for the diagnosis of acid-base disturbances and is calculated and presented by all blood gas analyzers produced today worldwide.

What are the 4 types of acid-base imbalance?

There are four simple acid base disorders: (1) Metabolic acidosis, (2) respiratory acidosis, (3) metabolic alkalosis, and (4) respiratory alkalosis. Metabolic acidosis is the most common disorder encountered in clinical practice.

How is acid-base status diagnosed?

1. Evaluation is with ABG and serum electrolytes.
2. Acid-base balance is most accurately assessed with measurement of pH and Pco 2 in an arterial blood sample.
3. The pH establishes the primary process (acidosis or alkalosis), although pH moves toward the normal range with compensation.

What is meant by base excess?

Base excess (BE) is the titratable acidity (or base) of the blood sample. It is defined as the amount of acid or base that must be added to a sample of oxygenated whole blood to restore the pH to 7.4 at 37° C and at a PCO2 of 40 mm Hg.

How do you tell if it is respiratory or metabolic acidosis?

The pCO2 determines whether an acidosis is respiratory or metabolic in origin. For a respiratory acidosis, the pCO2 is greater than 40 to 45 due to decreased ventilation. Metabolic acidosis is due to alterations in bicarbonate, so the pCO2 is less than 40 since it is not the cause of the primary acid-base disturbance.