PO2 on ISTAT

For several reasons, number 1 being if the sample is collected into a green top - then ambient air inside the green top tube will vastly change the PO2 especially when sent through a pneumatic tube station. For most specimens, if collected into a syringe, limiting exposure to room or ambient air by testing immediately, even a venous specimen will have an accurate PO2. The more important question is why do they care about PO2 in a venous specimen? Because venous blood contains red cells that are not oxygenated as they have already given away their oxygen to tissues and are on their way back to the lungs to pick up some new oxygen to transport. Therefore, the oxygenation status of venous blood is not representative of the oxygenation status of the human, and is therefore not "important". Rather, what they need to know is if the person is hypoxic, which they can tell from just the pH.

Does anyone have the ISTAT set to where the operator selects the sample type?
Do you have two separate reference ranges?

Yes, we have iSTAT set in DE for the operator to select the sample type. In DE there can only be one reference range per analyte. The specific sample type reference ranges and if applicable critical ranges are in Epic.

We have our i-STAT set up so sample type can be selected.  The reference ranges are set up in the LIS. 
Venous or Arterial sample are only collected in a syringe.  Drawing ABG in a vacutainer tube is not acceptable because the pO2 is affected by the air sample in the empty  tube. space.  
Samples  are  tested within 5-10 minutes.  Sample is not iced as recommended by i-STAT. '
 We rarely get venous sample and the doctor should know how to interpret the result he got. 

Pet do you use your ISTAT tapes during downtime?

We have sample type select set up in DE as well and then the LIS assigns the correct reference ranges. Our samples are the same as Pet - collected in a blood gas syringe only and run immediately. Everything is reported including the pO2 - I agree with Pet, the sample type is reported and if you have a pO2 from a venous sample they should know how to interpret. I've never had any comments about this.