Stop guessing your blood gases

Stop guessing your blood gases

From EMS One-Stop by emsonestop

March 20, 2026 · 30 min · Episode 746

About this episode

The episode focuses on understanding arterial blood gas measurements and the importance of knowing normal ranges in patient care.

In this episode of Inside EMS, cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson are once again joined by paramedic student April McKenzie, a.k.a., “April Anonymous,” for a deep dive on measuring arterial blood gas. Chris and Kelly walk April (and anyone else grinding through class) through the core idea that everything hinges on knowing “normal.” Once you lock in pH, CO₂ and bicarb ranges, the rest becomes pattern recognition, not panic. The big takeaway? Master normal, stay curious and treat every patient like a learning opportunity. Because the more normals you encounter, the faster you’ll catch what’s not. Quotable takeaways “Our whole job in a nutshell is maintaining homeostasis and knowing when the body is going to restore homeostasis.” “Voltaire said that the art of medicine is entertaining the patient until nature cures the disease. But, we know that nature doesn't always cure the disease. We have to know when to step in, when nature's not gonna do it.” Email theshow@ems1.com to share feedback.

People in this episode

Hosts: Chris Cebollero, Kelly Grayson

Guest: April McKenzie

Topics covered

  • blood gas measurement
  • paramedic education
  • patient care
  • homeostasis
  • medical knowledge

Keywords

  • arterial blood gas
  • pH
  • CO₂
  • bicarb
  • homeostasis
  • paramedic training
  • patient treatment

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Inside EMS

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