Arterial Blood Gases

How To Prepare

Tell your doctor if you:

• Have had bleeding problems or take blood thinners, such as aspirin or warfarin (Coumadin).
• Are taking any medicines.
• Are allergic to any medicines, such as those used to numb the skin (anesthetics).

If you are on oxygen therapy, the oxygen may be turned off for 20 minutes before the blood test. This is called a "room air" test. If you cannot breathe without the oxygen, the oxygen will not be turned off.

Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding the need for the test, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results may mean. To help you understand the importance of this test, fill out the medical test information form (What is a PDF document?).

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Author:	Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC	Last Updated July 28, 2006
Medical Review:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Robert L. Cowie, MB, FCP(SA), MD, MSc, MFOM - Pulmonology
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