![]() ![]() They reflect the ability of the lungs to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide, the ability of the kidneys to control the retention or elimination of bicarbonate, and the effectiveness of the heart as a pump. These parameters are important tools for assessment of a patient's acid-base balance. HCO 3 −-the level of plasma bicarbonate an indicator of the metabolic acid-base status PH-an expression of the extent to which the blood is alkaline or acidic Pa CO 2-partial pressure (P) of carbon dioxide (CO 2) in the arterial blood (a) Sa O 2-percentage of available hemoglobin that is saturated (Sa) with oxygen (O 2) Pa O 2-partial pressure (P) of oxygen (O 2) in the arterial blood (a) (See accompanying table.) Analyses of blood gases provide the following information: Other tests include electrophoresis for serum proteins, blood gas analysis, glucose tolerance tests, and measurement of iron levels.īlood gas analysis laboratory studies of arterial and venous blood for the purpose of measuring oxygen and carbon dioxide levels and pressure or tension, and hydrogen ion concentration (pH). Some of the more common screening tests performed on samples of blood include evaluation of electrolyte, albumin, and bilirubin levels, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), cholesterol, total protein, and such enzymes as lactate dehydrogenase and aspartate transaminase. These instruments are capable of performing simultaneously a variety of blood chemistry tests. In recent years, with the increasing attention to preventive health care and rapid progress in technology and automation, the use of a battery of screening tests performed by automated instruments has become quite common. ( and table.)Ĭhemical analyses of various substances in the blood are invaluable aids in (1) the prevention of disease by alerting the patient and health care provider to potentially dangerous levels of blood constituents that could lead to more serious conditions, (2) diagnosis of pathologic conditions already present, (3) assessment of the patient's progress when a disturbance in blood chemistry exists, and (4) assessment of the patient's status by establishing baseline or “normal” levels for each individual patient. Plasma accounts for about 55 per cent of the volume and the formed elements account for about 45 per cent. The total quantity of blood within an individual depends upon body weight a person weighing 70 kg (154 lb) has about 4.5 liters of blood in the body.īlood is composed of two parts: the fluid portion is called plasma, and the solid portion or formed elements (suspended in the fluid) consists of the blood cells ( erythrocytes and leukocytes) and the platelets. It also helps regulate body temperature by carrying excess heat from the interior of the body to the surface layers of the skin, where the heat is dissipated to the surrounding air.īlood varies in color from a bright red in the arteries to a duller red in the veins. The blood distributes hormones from the endocrine glands to the organs they influence. In an emergency, blood cells and antibodies carried in the blood are brought to a point of infection, or blood-clotting substances are carried to a break in a blood vessel. It has an essential role in the maintenance of fluid balance. It transports nutritive substances and metabolites to the tissues and removes waste products to the kidneys and other organs of excretion. ![]() ![]() It transports oxygen from the lungs to the body tissues, and carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs. The fluid that circulates through the heart, arteries, capillaries, and veins and is the chief means of transport within the body. ![]()
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