anyone seen a pH this low?

Specialties Critical

Published

Specializes in Emergency room, Flight, Pre-hospital.

Hi just wondering if anyone here has seen someone with this low of a venous pH and still be alive? Venous pH 6.662 and HCO3 2.6!! I felt like I was chansing my tail trying to stop the downward trend, was able to get the pt up to the unit, but don't know how they did. Just wondering because I was shocked and amazed by these numbers.

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.

Seen it that low one 1 ICU patient but he didn't survive Not sure that it's compatible with life really

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Specializes in Public Health.

At that point, most medications won't absorb in that acidic environment. The lowest I've personally seen has been a pH of 7.01.

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Specializes in SICU, Burn Unit, PACU, CCU.

I have seen that same number but I think it's 6.65 to be exact. I think it's compatible for life in a while until your body goes into shutdown. A had that patient in respiratory arrest after my shift. If it wasn't for my religious administration of Mesna to loosen secretion in her trache tube, I wouldn't have passed the patient to my colleague fot the next shift. Another factor would be the way the blood was extracted.

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A pt. had 6.5x this last spring. A few years back we had one with 6.5x and he pulled through. In our ICU this week we had pH6.98; CO2 8; HCO3 2 and the pt. was able to pull through with only bicarb and fluid. did not need to be vented.

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Pt in ICU 6.9 and beginning to turn slightly blue......

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Yep. Had Ph

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

Definately not compatible with life.

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