The doctors who are treating the pontiff at the Gemelli hospital in Rome have decided to subject him to emotional analysis. Bergoglio was hospitalized on March 29 for breathing difficulties and a sense of tightness in the chest that suggested a atrial fibrillationan arrhythmia that affects the heart.
In this article
What is blood gas analysis?
It is an exam that allows you to verify the effectiveness of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems of a patient. The doctor takes some arterial blood to analyze its gas concentration and other parameters, such as blood pH. It is among the most used tests to investigate the levels of gaseous exchange in the alveoli lungs, which is essential for blood oxygenation. This information is particularly valuable in order to diagnose the problem and be able to intervene accordingly with the most suitable therapy. With this exam you can “discover” different diseases that may affect the patient. In addition to heart and lung diseases, also kidney diseases, diabetes, sleep apnea, drug overdose, infections and brain trauma.
What happens during the exam?
Doctors may take a sample from the radial artery at the wrist or in the radial artery, or in the anterior crease of the elbow. Otherwise, the sample can also be taken from the femoral artery in the groin area. Sometimes you may want to use a local anesthetic, to make the test less painful. Since the arteries are located deeper than the veins, in fact the sampling is decidedly more troublesome than a regular blood test.
Advantages and disadvantages of blood gas analysis
One of the advantages of this test is the speed with which the results arrive. Already after ten minutes the results can be analysed. This is an exam annoying, but not risky. There may be some bleeding, which can become important if the patient is on anticoagulant therapy. Many also complain about one feeling dizzy and nauseous during the collection. Very rarely there can be damage to a nerve that is close to the artery or an injury to the chosen artery.
Read also…
