Easy way to remember ABG's?

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Hi

Is there a shorcut to remember Metabolic alkalosis & acidosis and Repirarory alkalosis & acidosis?

Thanks for your help

Cina

Specializes in Surgical Acute Unit (Bariatrics & Ortho).

I like the ROME acronym, but I think that it helps to remember which way it goes (acidosis/alkalosis) by remembering that C02 is your acid. If you can remember that, you can always figure it out.

Also - for compensation just remember that your body is lazy. It will never do more work than it has to.

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That tick tack toe game is really helpful....thank you vickyRN!

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The tic-tac-toe was the only way that I could figure out ABGs. We were taught the ROME method in patho and I couldn't understand it for the life of me. For med-surg, our instructor again taught us the ROME but I came on here and found the tic-tac-toe (from VickyRN) and I had it figured out within two practice problems. Thank you VIckyRN. Anyways, I showed this to one of my classmates and it ended up helping 8 of us on our test.

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Specializes in critical care, telemetry and education.
truern said:
We just went over this today in lecture, and my instructor made it SOOOOO simple.

Draw a grid like a tic-tac-toe board. Label the columns across the top Acid, Normal, and Alkalotic. Down the left side label the rows pH, PaCO2, and HCO3. Fill in the grid....first row is 7.45. Those are values for pH. Then fill in the second row with >45, 35-45, and 26. Those represent HCO3. Okay, now look at your ABG lab report. Say the pH was 7.49, the PaCO2 was 48, and the bicarb was 37. Tie in those values in your grid. You should have 7.49 under alkalotic, 48 under acid, and 37 under alkalotic. Look at the pH first to see if it's acidic, normal, or alkalotic. The next value in the same column will tell you if it's respiratory or metabolic (PaCO2 reflects respiratory, and HCO3 reflects metabolic). It's as simple as which column has two values in it ?

Acid Normal Alk

_____________________________________

pH 7.45

_____________________________________

PaCO2 >45 35.45

_____________________________________

HCO3 26

Then you can get into whether or not it's compensated ?

Hi! Where did you go to school? I wonder if you are a former student of mine? I first taught this concept right about the same time you posted and wondered if you were a former student? Perhaps my idea wasn't as original as I thought! ?

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djglover said:
Hi! Where did you go to school? I wonder if you are a former student of mine? I first taught this concept right about the same time you posted and wondered if you were a former student? Perhaps my idea wasn't as original as I thought! ?

Well, im a foreign nursing student, but we have taught the same idea in our school, although we don't call it tic-tac-toe board, but we arranged the same as that! and that was 2007-2008, on our ABG interpretation class. That idea is spread anywhere in the world since long time ago, i guess! that's the only way to make ABG easy for me also.

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Specializes in OB/Gyn, L&D, NICU.

I saved this info and will definately use the tic-tac-toe and the ROME acronym!! Thanks!!

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

this is a older thread. there is updated information on post #43 of the sticky thread: https://allnurses.com/nursing-student-assistance/pathophysiology-p-microbiology-145201.html - pathophysiology/ a & p/ microbiology/ fluid & electrolyte resources. it includes weblinks to understanding and interpreting abgs tutorials/information/interpretation and how to draw abgs

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VickyRN said:
I've attached a "tic-tac-toe" type handout I made for my students when I teach ABG's. Hope this helps ?

These were terrifically helpful for me...used them last semester.

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Specializes in L&D/Maternity nursing.

the pH teeter totters with respiratory and rides the escalator with metabolic. I read a really great article and this is the way they explained it and it really helped me when taking my exams. When there is compensation, you will see one of the above relationships do the opposite of what it would normally do.

as far as the actual numbers, PCO2 is the same as the pH range (35-45) and I just had to drill it into my head that bicarb was 22-26.

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I am bumping this up from the depths because the Tic Tac Toe handout is amazingly helpful. Wish I had found sooner instead the night before my exam!

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Specializes in CNA.
urcina said:
Hi

Is there a shorcut to remember Metabolic alkalosis & acidosis and Repirarory alkalosis & acidosis?

Thanks for your help

Cina

The very best way is to understand the underlying chemistry and physiology. Once you do that, you never need a shortcut.

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Specializes in Emergency.

We were taught the tic-tac-toe method as well and I use it all the time on the job (after a while you just set it up in your head and here's why).

Make 1 changeto the set up: flip the co2 range so it's 45-35 and acidosis winds up on the left and alkilosis winds up on the right.

Ac. Alk

ph 7.35-7.45

co2. 45-35

hco3. 22-26

cool, no?

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