Commonly used shorthand for ‘blood gas analysis’. Core monitoring tool widely used in intensive care. Small blood samples (1-2mls) are taken regularly from a patient’s arterial line and processed through an analyser on the unit. Measures blood pH and levels (partial pressures) of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Results are used to adjust organ support therapies.
The atria (singular: atrium) are the two upper chambers of the heart. The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood returning from the body through the superior and inferior vena cavae, and passes it to the right ventricle. The left atrium receives oxygenated blood returning from the lungs through the pulmonary veins, and passes it to the … Read more
Autologous is a medical term meaning derived from oneself or relating to the patient’s own body. It is used to describe procedures, tissues, or biological materials sourced from the same individual who will receive them, eliminating the risk of immune rejection or disease transmission that exists when materials are taken from another person (allograft or … Read more