Preanalytical considerations in blood gas analysis

Blood gas testing is a commonly ordered test in hospital settings, where the results almost always have the potential to dictate an immediate or urgent response. The preanalytical steps in testing, from choosing the correct tests to ensuring the specimen is introduced into the instrument correctly, must be perfectly coordinated to ensure that the patient receives appropriate and timely therapy in response to the analytical results. While many of the preanalytical steps in blood gas testing are common to all laboratory tests, such as accurate specimen labeling, some are unique to this testing because of the physicochemical properties of the analytes being measured. The common sources of preanalytical variation in blood gas testing are reviewed here.