Hi there,
I was wondering if someone might be able to help me make sense of these blood gas results:
pH 7.384 (7.35-7.45)
pCO2 4.9 (4.3-6.0) kPa
PO2 8.5L (10-12.8) kPa
Actual HCO3 21.4 mmol/L (18-23)
tCO2 22.5 mmol/L (22-29)
SBE -3.0 mmol/L (-4 to +2)
sO2 92.2 L % (94-98)
I had these tests done about a year ago during a pulmonary workup. I was referred because I struggle quite a bit with physical exertion and have dealt with frequent coughing fits for as long as I can remember... things were actually pretty rough back in elementary school, though by the time I hit college, it seemed to settle down a little. Since then, I’ve crossed the threshold into being an adult, which means I can't exactly head back to the pediatric wing at the children's hospital anymore. Now I'm left wondering if I really need to transition over to an adult hospital for follow-ups, especially since I don't feel many symptoms unless I'm exercising—which is why I tend to keep my workouts fairly light, just so I don't end up winded... oh, and maybe the occasional five-day coughing bout during the winter months? Also, I deal with some mucus drainage from my throat every single morning, but once I clear it out, it doesn't bother me much for the rest of the day.
As for other tests, my spirometry (FVC 87%, FEV1 80%, TI-8, MEF 73%), X-ray, and EKG all came back normal.
In the meantime, I did get some standard blood work done because my doctor requested it following a routine checkup—they heard "systolic murmur" and wanted to check my heart, though I'm still waiting on the cardiology appointment. Everything looked fine except for my potassium, which was just a tiny bit low at 3.6 mmol/L.
My main question is: should I actually schedule a follow-up with a pulmonologist? It’s been a year since my last visit, and since I've aged out of pediatric care, and my doctor wasn't entirely certain about a diagnosis yet (the report just noted "unspecified asthma")...
Thanks so much! 🙂
I was wondering if someone might be able to help me make sense of these blood gas results:
pH 7.384 (7.35-7.45)
pCO2 4.9 (4.3-6.0) kPa
PO2 8.5L (10-12.8) kPa
Actual HCO3 21.4 mmol/L (18-23)
tCO2 22.5 mmol/L (22-29)
SBE -3.0 mmol/L (-4 to +2)
sO2 92.2 L % (94-98)
I had these tests done about a year ago during a pulmonary workup. I was referred because I struggle quite a bit with physical exertion and have dealt with frequent coughing fits for as long as I can remember... things were actually pretty rough back in elementary school, though by the time I hit college, it seemed to settle down a little. Since then, I’ve crossed the threshold into being an adult, which means I can't exactly head back to the pediatric wing at the children's hospital anymore. Now I'm left wondering if I really need to transition over to an adult hospital for follow-ups, especially since I don't feel many symptoms unless I'm exercising—which is why I tend to keep my workouts fairly light, just so I don't end up winded... oh, and maybe the occasional five-day coughing bout during the winter months? Also, I deal with some mucus drainage from my throat every single morning, but once I clear it out, it doesn't bother me much for the rest of the day.
As for other tests, my spirometry (FVC 87%, FEV1 80%, TI-8, MEF 73%), X-ray, and EKG all came back normal.
In the meantime, I did get some standard blood work done because my doctor requested it following a routine checkup—they heard "systolic murmur" and wanted to check my heart, though I'm still waiting on the cardiology appointment. Everything looked fine except for my potassium, which was just a tiny bit low at 3.6 mmol/L.
My main question is: should I actually schedule a follow-up with a pulmonologist? It’s been a year since my last visit, and since I've aged out of pediatric care, and my doctor wasn't entirely certain about a diagnosis yet (the report just noted "unspecified asthma")...
Thanks so much! 🙂