Which test uses blood drawn from a vein to assess gas and acid-base status?

• A. ABG
• B. Pan scan
• C. A-line
• D. VBG

Answer: (D)

Gas and acid-base status are best understood through blood gas testing. When blood is drawn from a vein, you perform a venous blood gas, which provides pH, venous pCO2, and bicarbonate to assess acid-base balance. It’s often used when arterial sampling isn’t necessary or feasible. Arterial blood gas, on the other hand, uses blood from an artery and gives more precise oxygenation data (PaO2) and arterial CO2 (PaCO2). The other option mentioned is imaging, which isn’t about gas or acid-base measurements. So, the venous blood gas is the test that uses vein blood to assess gas and acid-base status.