Arterial Blood Gas Measurement: What It Checks & Indicates

Posted on: Jun 4, 2025 | 3 mins | Written by: HDFC ERGO Team

Arterial Blood Gas Measurement: What It Checks & Indicates

Arterial Blood Gas (ABG), as the name indicates, is a blood sample test taken from your artery. This test serves two purposes: measuring oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in your blood and assessing the pH (acid-base balance) to evaluate overall blood chemistry.

Usually, doctors ask you to go for an ABG test in emergencies. The studies of this test can be used to interpret the health of your respiratory system, circulatory system, metabolic functions, and the overall functioning of your vital organs.

What does arterial blood gas measurement include, and what is the significance of this test? The following sections can help you with the answers to these questions.

Arterial Blood Gas Measurement

ABG test includes testing the following important parameters in your body:

Tests	What does it indicate	Normal Range
O₂CT	Presence of oxygen in your blood	15 - 23% (per 100ml of blood)
pH	Balances of acids and bases in your blood (lower levels indicate acidic content, and higher levels indicate alkaline content)	7.35 - 7.45
PaCO₂	Presence of carbon dioxide and the quality of outflow of this gas from the body	35-45 mmHg (millimetres of Mercury)
PaO₂	The pressure of oxygen dissolved in your blood and the quality of movement of oxygen from your lungs to other parts	80-100 mmHg (millimetres of Mercury)
HCO₃	It uses the pH and PaCO₂ values to check how much basic compound can be made from CO₂	22-26mEq/l (milliequivalents per lire)
O₂Saturation	Haemoglobin's potential to carry oxygen from your lungs to other parts	95-100%
Haemoglobin	Quantity of haemoglobin protein present in your blood	13.2-16.6g/dl (men) and 11.6 - 15g/dl (women); g/dl- grams per decilitre

Your doctor may ask you to go through an ABG in the following cases:

• During emergencies, when you require immediate medical help (in case of accidents, illnesses, etc.)

• While providing anaesthesia for patients and other pain medications related to surgery

• When you have serious respiratory disorders

Unlike blood gas analysis, ABG only draws a blood sample from your artery. As a result, the procedure may cause slight discomfort. Apart from soreness at the injection site and occasional dizziness, no significant risks are commonly associated with an ABG test.

Conclusion

Doctors use the results of your ABG test to evaluate several critical ailments like sepsis, septic shocks, cardiac arrest, acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute heart failure, metabolic disorders and more. The treatments following your ABG test can be expensive, making financial planning essential. A health insurance plan can help manage these costs, allowing you to focus on your recovery without added financial stress.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to the policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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