How 'bout these pH's.....

[enfermeraSG]

We had a terribly traumatic term vag delivery the other night (should have been a C-section based on the strip). Anyway, this term kiddo had the following arterial cord pH's:

arterial: 6.82

PCO2: 106

HCO3: 8

base deficit: 16.1

O2 sat: 13

This baby appeared completely lifeless, never made any resp attempt, was put on a vent, has intraventricular, subdural, and subarachnoid bleeds, has seized a few times. Have you ever seen cord gases this bad where the baby lived, and if so - what sort of outcome will this child have? The obvious? SG

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

Have you ever seen cord gases this bad where the baby lived, and if so - what sort of outcome will this child have? The obvious? SG

Of the kids I have seen with that kind of an initial gas...probably half survived and half didn't. The ones that did survive had very poor outcomes. All needed continuing nursing care post-discharge, either at home or in a pediatric nursing home. All had G-tubes, were on anti-seizure medications, and many had to be suctioned constantly because they were unable to swallow their own secretions.

[dawngloves, BSN, RN]

Nope.

[sparkyRN]

Nearly always the obvious outcome.