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Test Code VBG Venous Blood Gas

Specimen Requirements

Specimen must arrive within 10 minutes of draw.

 

Container/Tube: Heparinized blood gas syringe or capillary tube.  Specimen exposed to air is not acceptable.

Specimen Volume: 0.5 mL of whole blood from heparinized syringe or 0.1 mL of whole blood from blood gas capillary tube

Transport Temperature: Ambient

Collection Instructions: Forward immediately. Specimen must be analyzed within 30 minutes of draw.

Performing Laboratory

Munson Healthcare Laboratories

Methodology

Electrode

Includes pH, pO2, pCO2, tCO2, and sO2 calculated.

Reference Values

< 2 months pH:  7.22-7.49 pH units

> 2 months pH: 7.32-7.42 pH units

Critical values (automatic call-back): 

< 2 months: <7.22 pH units or >7.49 pH units

> 2 months: <7.20 pH units or >7.60 pH units

 

< 2 months pCO2: 35-60 mm/Hg

> 2 months pCO2:  41-51 mm/Hg

Critical values (automatic call-back): <20 mm/Hg or >70 mm/Hg

 

< 2 months pO2:  35-50 mm/Hg

>2 months pO2:  25-40 mm/Hg

Critical value (automatic call-back):

<2 months pO2 : < 30 mm/HG

2 months - ≥90 years: <40 mm/Hg

 

HCO3:  22-32

 

Venous O2 saturation:  > 2 months 45-70 % ( no reference range for < 2 months)

 

Day(s) Test Set Up

Monday through Sunday

Test Classification and CPT Coding

82803