We are frequently asked to check the lactate on Venous Blood Gases (VBG’s), by the nursing staff. However, remember to look at the first result (pH) it is the most important.
Acidosis: Unless you have a good reason (e.g. you know its due to DKA) you should be investigating and performing an Arterial Blood Gas (ABG)
Please see the updated SOP for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. Make sure you are familiar with this protocol and for anymore information please contact the Infection Control Team.
Unfortunately the the normal pathway for investigation of PE performs poorly in pregnancy RCOG have the following pathway
Flu season 2018-9 is here and we need to think about Influenza PCR testing
POCT role-out has been delayed, however, please consider need for Tamiflu/Oseltamivir in discharged patients [yellow box]
With the onset of colder weather, many households in the UK are turning on their heating for the first time in months. Heating appliances need chimneys and flues to work safely – and these can block up over the summer months. So autumn is traditionally the period when people get poisoned by carbon monoxide (although it can happen any time of the year!)
Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced when anything containing carbon burns or smoulders. For practical purposes, this means the burning of any kind of fuel, commonly:
CO is very poisonous. Exposure to as little as 300 parts per million (that’s just 0.03%) can prove fatal.
Scombroid poisoning (AKA – Histamine fish poisoning) is apparently more common than we think and accounts for 40% of seafood related illness in the USA according to the CDC. But Scombriod poisoning is missed as its put down to allergy. Read more
This is “relatively” simple way of working out if the paO2 on a ABG is normal, and demonstrates V/Q mismatch well. V/Q mismatch is simple terms is either an area of the lung either under ventilated(pneumonia) or under perfused (PE). Read more
Signs of acute Lower Respiratory Tract illness (LRTI) [Cough] &:
We have recently introduced the use of VBG in COPD.
Why Change?
Asthma is common and potentially fatal.
PDF:asthma adult
