Preface

If you’ve taken the time to open Arterial Blood Gases Made Easy, you must believe that arterial blood gases (ABGs) are important, but not entirely straightforward.

We certainly agree on the first point: ABG analysis now plays an indispensable role in the assessment and management of patients with a huge range of acute medical and surgical problems. Accurate ABG interpretation is undoubtedly a fundamental skill in modern clinical medicine.

On the second point, we hope this book can be of assistance. Throughout, our aims have been to emphasise the key concepts, focus on practical and useful aspects of ABG analysis and avoid extraneous detail. We believe many medical and nursing students, junior doctors and specialist nurses will benefit from a clear, concise guide to performing the technique and interpreting the results.