Patient on a Ventilator

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I had a pt. on a ventilator and I am having to interpret his labs. The pt. had a high PaO2 and I am having trouble figuring out why. Pt.'s ph was 7.38, HCO3 20.1 and CO2 22. Any advice would be helpful!!

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Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.

You'll need to look farther afield than just the ABGs for this one. Here's a hint - PaO2 is (in part) a reflection of the air you're putting into the patient's lungs and from there into the bloodstream.

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Thanks for the reply. I finally figured it out. They would need to increase the PEEP in order to decrease the FiO2 being given to the patient.

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