Arterial Blood Gases: What Affects The Test
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What Affects the Test
Reasons you may not be able to have the test or why the results may not be helpful include the following:
- You have a fever or an abnormally low body temperature (hypothermia).
- You have a disease that affects how much oxygen is carried in your blood, such as severe anemia or polycythemia.
- You smoke just before the test or breathe secondhand smoke, carbon monoxide, or certain paint or varnish removers in closed or poorly ventilated areas.
| Last updated: | June 17, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS |
| Reviewed By: | Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine, Robert L. Cowie, MB, FCP(SA), MD, MSc, MFOM - Pulmonology |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer |
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