There are only four steps to ABG interpretation, and it gives you a plethora of information. So why do so few people actually interpret them? Because they’ve been mistakenly confused about ABGs by people who make them difficult. The above link is the short cut/reminder page for the below explanations:
STEP 1:
pH: the measure of how much acid in the form of [H+] ions are in a system. In the human body, 7.40 is normal. Remember this number. It is actually a range, but if you memorize a range and use that, you will become unnecessarily confused or you will miss a “triple acid-base disorder” (where three processes are present at the same time). So, 7.40 is normal. Less than 7.40 is acidosis and greater than 7.40 is alkalosis.