- Scenario three – introduction
You are called to the respiratory unit to a 65-year-old man with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who has been found collapsed. On initial assessment by the ward nurse he was apnoeic but had an easily palpable carotid pulse.
The nurse attempts to ventilate his lungs with a bag-mask and supplemental oxygen (with reservoir) and has called the cardiac arrest team.
When you arrive, the patient has an oropharyngeal airway in situ, is ventilated with bag-mask, oxygen at 15 l min-1 and has a carotid pulse palpable 90 min[sup]-1[/sup], an SpO2 of 99% and is comatose (GCS 3).
Select Next to continue.References
See chapter 15 of the ALS manual for further reading about arterial blood gas analysis.
Essentials: 5-step approach to ABG interpretation
Step 1 – how is the patient?
Step 2 – is the patient hypoxaemic?
Step 3 – is the patient acidaemic or alkalaemic?
Step 4 – what happened to the PaCO2?
Step 5 – what has happened to the base excess or bicarbonate?
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