ABSTRACT
D – Type I respiratory failure A simple interpretation of arterial blood gases is as follows. e pH value shows if the gas is acidotic (<7.35) or alkalotic (>7.45). Next you need to nd out if the alkalosis or acidosis is due to a metabolic or respiratory cause – this is done by looking at the pCO2 and bicarbonate levels. ere are two things you need to bear in mind before continuing: (1) carbon dioxide is acidic and bicarbonate is alkaline; and (2) bicarbonate equates to ‘metabolic’ and pCO2 means ‘respiratory’. An alkalosis can be due to either a high bicarbonate (‘metabolic alkalosis’) or a low pCO2 (‘respiratory alkalosis’). Conversely, an acidosis can be caused by either a low bicarbonate (‘metabolic acidosis’) or a high pCO2 (‘respiratory acidosis’).
