Blood Gas Analysis

Blood gas analysis can cause some confusion in hypothermia. Blood gas machines will warm the sample to 37 C and report those values. In vivo, the values will be different partly because of the increased solubility of gases as the temperature of a liquid falls.

It is possible to mathematically ‘correct’ the values to the patient’s actual body temperature but interpretation of these values is very difficult partly because we have little idea of what the ‘normal’ values for hypothermia should be.

To avoid confusion and ensure consistency use the ‘uncorrected’ values: that is the values the machine reports after warming the blood to the standard 37 C.