About this episode
The episode discusses the importance of understanding normal blood gas values in paramedic practice.
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
- arterial blood gas
- paramedic education
- homeostasis
- patient care
- medical knowledge
Keywords
- blood gases
- pH
- CO₂
- bicarb
- pattern recognition
- homeostasis
- patient treatment
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