Here's a brain-teaser for the weekend - I'm sure someone out there will
have the answer.
When a patient's tetmperature is reported to us as other than 37 C, we
put this information into our blood gas analyser (ABL 725) and it
calculates the pH, pO2 and pCO2 (and maybe other things) corrected to 37
, which we then report. This is fine, and the manual gives information
on the equations used.
I have been asked whether the reference ranges (which presumably must
have been derived at 37 C - you can hardly have a reference population
which is markedly hypo- or hyperthermic) are applicable to the reported
temperature-corrected results when patients are not at 37 C. My initial
response is yes, at least for the comparatively minor range of
temperatures we are likely to see here (?35 to 42 degrees). I assume
that even if you have a patient who has been exposed to really low
temperatures overnight, so that their core temperature is in the low 30s
on admission, you would still be aiming to get their blood gas results
to what you would aim for in a normothermic patient.
Any comments, either from a theoretical or pragmatic point of view?
TIA (in this context, Thanks In Advance)
John
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