Objective:
To evaluate the reliability of blood gas test electrolyte results by comparing them with biochemistry results.
Material and Methods:
A total of 722 patients with blood gas (BG) and biochemistry results, admitted to our emergency department in May 2013, were evaluated retrospectively. Patients were grouped as acidosis group, normal pH group, and alkalosis group. The obtained data were analyzed with SPSS 16.0 software for their frequencies and distributions and then interpreted using paired-sample t-test.
Results:
There was a statistically significant difference between BG and biochemistry potassium results in the normal pH group (p<0.01). Also, there was a statistically significant difference between blood gas and biochemistry chlorine results in acidic, normal pH, and alkaline blood samples (p<0.01). However, no statistical significance was found between BG and biochemistry sodium results in all pH values or between BG and biochemistry potassium results in acidic and alkaline blood (p>0.01).
Conclusion:
It was found that BG potassium results in normal pH and BG chlorine results in all pHs were not statistically reliable. Blood gas electrolyte values should be used for the initial treatment of critically ill patients in the emergency department. However, we need to be aware that the results of blood gas electrolyte testing are not reliable. These results have to be confirmed with routine biochemistry electrolyte, EKG, and physical examination findings soon.
Keywords: Acidosis, alkalosis, blood gas analysis, potassium, sodium, chlorine