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Glite Dictionary
arterial blood gases

arterial blood gases

1 5.4
A test that measures oxygen, carbon dioxide, and acid level of blood from an artery to check lung function
  • noun
  • /ɑrˈtɪəriəl blʌd ˈɡæsɪz/
  • Specialized
translation icon : gases en sangre arterial
  • The results of the arterial blood gas analysis indicated that the patient was suffering from respiratory failure.
  • arterial blood gases analysis

Examples

  • One key test was an arterial blood gas; it's a test that measures the amount of oxygen carried in the blood after it leaves the heart.

    Blog text (7)

  • After measuring the arterial blood gases, the nurse reported the patient's oxygen saturation and carbon dioxide levels.

  • The analysis of arterial blood gas samples poses some particular challenges.

    Academic text (2011)

  • This inevitably means that patients have to travel from their homes for arterial blood gas samples.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Arterial blood gas levels are easy to determine, and results are quickly available; thus, this test is useful in emergency or trauma departments.

    Academic text (2015)

  • The pulmonary function test results and arterial blood gases began their slow downward spiral.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • A general rule is that if readings are below this, and certainly if they reach 92% or less, the patient may need supplemental oxygen and admission for arterial blood gases.

    Academic text (2012)

  • Laboratory studies revealed increased prothrombin and activated partial thromboplastin times, as well as a significant metabolic acidosis on the arterial blood gas.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Our data demonstrate that the pH level determined by arterial blood gas analysis at hospital admission is more accurate than the APACHE II score as a marker for predicting death in V. vulnificus-infected patients.

    Academic text (2015)

  • The doctor ordered an arterial blood gas test to check the patient's lung function and oxygen levels.

Surface Forms

arterial blood gases singular
arterial blood gases plural

Morphology

arterial + blood + gas

The phrase is fully compositional: 'arterial' (relating to arteries) + 'blood' + 'gases' yields the literal idea of gases present in arterial blood, so a learner who knows the constituents can infer it refers to those gases and, in a medical context, to their measurement. This is a non-idiomatic, technical noun phrase following regular English noun compounding and has clear parallels in other languages, making it transparent to learners.

Etymology

The term arterial blood gases comes from the simple idea of taking blood from an artery and measuring the gases in the blood, such as 'oxygen' and 'carbon dioxide', and how acidic the blood is. So, it means 'a test that checks how well the lungs are working'.