Interpreting Umbilical Cord Blood Gases: Technical Issues: Part II

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Jeffrey Pomerance, MD, MPH

Case 4: Blood Gas Samples Drawn from the Same Vessel

The mother was a 31-year-old, gravida 4, para 0, aborta 3, with an intrauterine pregnancy at 42 0/7 weeks by fair dates (20-week sonographic scan with uncertain last menstrual period). (1)

She presented in active labor with ruptured membranes. The fetus was in a breech position. The patient was taken for a primary cesarean section. At delivery, there was a problem delivering the aftercoming head. Apgar scores were 3 and 8 at one and five minutes, respectively.

Cord blood gas results were as follows:

Umbilical VeinUmbilical Artery
pH7.197.19
Pco2 (mmHg)
(kPa)		66
8.80		68
9.07
Po2 (mmHg)
(kPa)		14
1.87		13
1.73
HCO3 (mmol/L)2525
BD (mmol/L)55

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References:

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