Venous blood gas analysis reliably reflects acid-base status and may be an alternative to arterial sampling for selected parameters in critically ill pediatric patients. Venous PCO2, lactate levels, and Pv-aCO2 may be useful for risk stratification and longitudinal monitoring in the PICU. However, arterial analysis remains essential for oxygenation, and venous sampling should not substitute arterial measurements when evaluating hypoxemia.
Altun et al. (Thu,) studied this question.