Differences in PO2 and PCO2 between arterial and arterialized earlobe samples.

Blood gas measurement during exercise: a comparative study between arterialized earlobe sampling and direct arterial puncture in adults.

Sampling arterialized earlobe blood is thought to be easier and less painful than direct arterial puncture, and to allow measurement of blood gas values during exercise without the need to insert an arterial cannula. However, arterialized earlobe oxygen tension (PO2) often underestimates arterial PO2 at rest, and is not fully validated during exercise. We have therefore conducted a prospective ...

Earlobe arterialized capillary blood gas analysis in the intensive care unit: a pilot study

BACKGROUND Earlobe arterialized capillary blood gas analysis can be used to estimate arterial gas content and may be suitable for diagnosis and management of critically ill patients. However, its utility and applicability in the ICU setting remains unexplored. METHODS A prospective observational validation study was designed to evaluate this technique in a cohort of mechanically ventilated ad...

Is arterialized earlobe blood PO2 an acceptable substitute for arterial blood PO2?

Arterialised earlobe blood gas analysis: an underused technique.

BACKGROUND Techniques for sampling arterialised capillary blood from the finger pulp and the earlobe were first described over two decades ago but, although close agreement between arterial values and earlobe samples has been demonstrated in normal subjects, this technique is not in common usage. METHODS Forty patients with chronic lung disease and a wide range of arterial blood gas values we...

Prediction of arterial blood gas values from arterialized earlobe blood gas values in patients treated with mechanical ventilation

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE Arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis is useful in evaluation of the clinical condition of critically ill patients; however, arterial puncture or insertion of an arterial catheter may sometimes be difficult and cause many complications. Arterialized ear lobe blood samples have been described as adequate to gauge gas exchange in acute and chronically ill pediatric patients. PU...