ABGS AND RESPIRATORY
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM STUDY GUIDE
WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
●● What is ventilation?
Answer: movement of air in and out of the lungs
●● What is perfusion?
Answer: the blood flow in pulmonary capillaries
●● Cheyne-Stokes breathing
Answer: Breathing can be very deep and rapid, followed by periods of
slow shallow breaths, apnea for 20 seconds.
CNS disorders, CHF, and end of life
●● Biot's respirations
Answer: varying depth and rate of breathing, followed by periods of
apnea; irregular.
Brainstem injury
●● Kussmaul respirations
,Answer: very deep, labored breathing (usually associated with diabetic
acidosis and renal failure)
●● PaCO2 normal range
Answer: 35 - 45 mmHg
Represents the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the arterial blood
Directly influenced by the function of the respiratory system
This drives us to breathe.
●● HCO3 range?
Answer: 22-26 mEq/L
Bicarbonate is an electrolyte, a negatively charged ion that is used by the
body to help maintain the body's acid-base (pH) balance.
●● pH range of blood
Answer: acid 7.35-7.45 basic
●● PaO2 normal range
Answer: 80-100 mm Hg
Older adults will have a lower range 70 yo >70 80yo >60
, ●● SaO2 (Oxygen Saturation)
Answer: 95-100%
●● What is respiratory acidosis?
Answer: Low Ph, high PaCo2 , hypoventilation
●● What is respiratory alkalosis?
Answer: High pH/ Low PaCO2 hyperventilation
●● What is metabolic alkalosis?
Answer: high pH, high HCO3
Excessive loss of metabolic acids
●● What is metabolic acidosis?
Answer: low pH, low HCO3
diabetes or kidney failure
●● What is a tracheostomy?
Answer: surgical procedure that involves inserting a tube into the trachea
to open it up to airflow
●● What equipment should you have in the room of a patient with a
tracheostomy?
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM STUDY GUIDE
WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
●● What is ventilation?
Answer: movement of air in and out of the lungs
●● What is perfusion?
Answer: the blood flow in pulmonary capillaries
●● Cheyne-Stokes breathing
Answer: Breathing can be very deep and rapid, followed by periods of
slow shallow breaths, apnea for 20 seconds.
CNS disorders, CHF, and end of life
●● Biot's respirations
Answer: varying depth and rate of breathing, followed by periods of
apnea; irregular.
Brainstem injury
●● Kussmaul respirations
,Answer: very deep, labored breathing (usually associated with diabetic
acidosis and renal failure)
●● PaCO2 normal range
Answer: 35 - 45 mmHg
Represents the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the arterial blood
Directly influenced by the function of the respiratory system
This drives us to breathe.
●● HCO3 range?
Answer: 22-26 mEq/L
Bicarbonate is an electrolyte, a negatively charged ion that is used by the
body to help maintain the body's acid-base (pH) balance.
●● pH range of blood
Answer: acid 7.35-7.45 basic
●● PaO2 normal range
Answer: 80-100 mm Hg
Older adults will have a lower range 70 yo >70 80yo >60
, ●● SaO2 (Oxygen Saturation)
Answer: 95-100%
●● What is respiratory acidosis?
Answer: Low Ph, high PaCo2 , hypoventilation
●● What is respiratory alkalosis?
Answer: High pH/ Low PaCO2 hyperventilation
●● What is metabolic alkalosis?
Answer: high pH, high HCO3
Excessive loss of metabolic acids
●● What is metabolic acidosis?
Answer: low pH, low HCO3
diabetes or kidney failure
●● What is a tracheostomy?
Answer: surgical procedure that involves inserting a tube into the trachea
to open it up to airflow
●● What equipment should you have in the room of a patient with a
tracheostomy?
