A patient on a ventilator has an order for arterial blood gases with an alveolar/arterial oxygen ratio (a/A ratio).When sending the specimen to the laboratory, which information about the patient should the nurse include?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The most important information to include when sending a specimen for arterial blood gas analysis with an a/A ratio is the patient's temperature. This is necessary to accurately calculate the alveolar oxygen tension (PAO2) which is used to calculate the a/A ratio. Age, gender, and weight are not directly relevant to this calculation.

A Patient on a Ventilator Has an Order for Arterial