Navigating Real-World Challenges in Blood Gas Specimen Collection: A Collaborative Journey to Improve Specimen Integrity

This presentation will explore a real-world collaborative effort between laboratory/point-of-care (POC) and nursing teams aimed at improving blood gas specimen integrity, with an emphasis on reducing the percentage of blood gas specimens with ambient air exposure. Over the course of one year, multiple interventions were implemented. Some improvements were observed, but sustaining consistent reduction in the percentage of specimens with suspected ambient air exposure has remained a challenge. In addition to discussing the interventions employed, this presentation will also examine potential variables contributing to the difficulty in maintaining sustained improvements.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify key preanalytical variables that impact the accuracy of blood gas specimen results.

2. Discuss strategies to reduce ambient air exposure during blood gas specimen collection process.

3. Describe collaborative interventions by lab and nursing aimed at improving blood gas specimen integrity.