[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-572786-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":81,"doc-detail-572786-en":127},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","phco3-basic-blood-gas-interpretation-easy-as-tic-tac-toe-simplifying-interpretation-of-blood-gas-results","pHCO3 Basic Blood Gas Interpretation - Easy As Tic Tac Toe - Simplifying interpretation of blood gas results","","Quick and practical guidance for interpreting arterial blood gas results using a tic-tac-toe grid. It explains normal acid and base ranges for pH, CO2 (respiratory component), and HCO3 (metabolic component), then shows how to place measured values into Acid/Normal/Base columns. Primary disorders are identified by three-in-a-row patterns, with additional assessment of partial compensation depending on where the remaining value falls. Includes examples and reference sources.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/general/","General",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/phco3-basic-blood-gas-interpretation-easy-as-tic-tac-toe-simplifying-interpretation-of-blood-gas-results/572786/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/phco3-basic-blood-gas-interpretation-easy-as-tic-tac-toe-simplifying-interpretation-of-blood-gas-results/572786.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":42,"@type":43},"OmBimo","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-20","2026-10-13",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",7,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"How do you use the tic-tac-toe grid to find the primary acid-base disorder?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"Place pH, CO2, and HCO3 into the Acid/Normal/Base columns. Wherever three values align in a row, that pattern indicates the primary disorder. If the three-in-a-row includes CO2, it is respiratory; if it includes HCO3, it is metabolic.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What does it mean if CO2 or HCO3 is in the opposite column?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"If the stand-alone value sits in the opposite column, the patient is partially compensating for the underlying disorder. Compensation is considered partial when the pH remains abnormal.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"How do the rules change when pH is in the Normal category (horizontal three-in-a-row)?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"When pH is in Normal, compensation exists but an underlying disorder may still require correction. Use pH direction: if pH is greater than 7.4, look in the Base column for the disorder; if pH is less than 7.4, use the Acid column for the disorder. If the relevant value corresponds to CO2 or HCO3 within that column, it can indicate full compensation for respiratory or metabolic processes.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},572786,1792118693,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,89,94,99,104,109,114,119,124],{"id":85,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":86,"show_sort_weight":87,"slug":88},11,"Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":90,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":91,"show_sort_weight":92,"slug":93},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":95,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":96,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":100,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":105,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":110,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":115,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":120,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":122,"slug":123},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":125,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":126},158,"general-158",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":128},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":129,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":130,"doc_module":22,"category_id":125,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":131,"file_id":132,"file_url":133,"file_type":134,"file_size":135,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":26,"language":136,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":137,"faqs":138,"seo_title":139,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":140,"read_time":22},962090893581,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_276721f389ce27ea32af1340a28f341c","C02  \npHHC03 Basic Blood Gas Interpretation:  \n Easy As Tic Tac Toe!   \nSimplifying interpretation of blood gas results  \nThere are a number of relatively complicated ways to determine acid-base disorders, and many of them involve math and formulas, and determining the level of compensation. The following is a quick and easy method that makes determining the primary disorder as simple as Tic Tac Toe. To start, know your normal values and what they mean. Write out this chart and keep it close to your blood gas analyzer, in your pocket, or in your brain.  \nUsing a tic-tac-toe grid to interpret imbalances  \nAcid and Base Normal Ranges  \nACIDIC  BASIC  \n45  \nCO2 respiratory component  \n35  \n7.35 pH 7.45  \n18  \nHCO3 24  \nmetabolic component  \nRemember that the higher the C02 the more acidic the blood, so keep that high CO2 on the acid side. Also know that the CO2 is your respiratory value, and HCO3 is your metabolic value. Next, draw a tic tac toe grid and from left to right in the top three boxes label Acid, Normal, and Base.  \n\n| ACID | NORMAL | BASE |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n|  |  |  |\n|  |  |  |\n\nLook at the pH value and place it in the appropriate column. Then do the same for CO2 and HCO3, placing them in the appropriate columns. Wherever there are three values in a row (including “Acid” “Normal” and“Base”), that is the patient’s primary disorder.  \nIf the CO2 is in that three in a row, the disorder is respiratory. If the HCO3 is in the three in a row the disorder is metabolic. Then look to see where the ‘stand-alone’value is. If it is in the opposite column then the patient is partially compensating for the disorder.  \nFor example, a patient has the following values on an arterial blood gas:  \npH: 7.288 pCO2: 56.9 HCO3: 31.7  \nPlace the pH in the Acid column. Place pCO2 in the Acid column. Place the HCO3 in the Base column. There are three in a row in the acid column, so the primary disorder isan acidosis (which is hopefully recognized with the low pH). Because the CO2 is also in that acid column, the primary disorder is a respiratory acidosis. The HCO3 is abnormal in the opposite (Base) column so the patient is partially compensating. It is a partial compensation because the pH is still abnormal.  \n\n| ACID | NORMAL | BASE |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| pH: 7.288 |  | HCO3: 31.7 |\n| pCO2: 56.9 |  |  |\n\nThere are times when the values will make a horizontal tic tac toe, with the pH in the normal category. This is a patient that is compensating but still has an underlying disorder that needs correcting. In these cases, look atthe pH and determine which side of normal it sits. If the pH is greater than 7. 4, the disorder is alkalotic, look in the base column and whichever value is there will be the disorder (if CO2 is in the base column, then the patient has a fully compensated respiratory alkalosis). If the pH is less than 7. 4, the disorder is acidosis and whichever value is in the acid column will be the disorder (if HCO3 is in the acid column, then the patient has a fully compensated metabolic acidosis).  \nReferences: 1. DiBartola, SP. Introduction to Acid-Base Disorders. In: DiBartola SA. Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-base Disorders in Small Animal Practice. 3rd ed. St. Louis: Saunders Elsevier; 2006, pp.229-251. 2. DiBartola, SP. Metabolic Acid-Base Disorders. In: DiBartola SA. Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-base Disorders in Small Animal Practice. 3rd ed. St. Louis: Saunders Elsevier; 2006, pp.251-283. 3. Gray, S, Powell, L. Blood Gas Analysis. In: Burkitt-Creedon, JM, Davis, H, editors. Advanced Monitoring and Procedures for Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell; 2012, pp.286-92. 4. Hopper, K. , Traditional Acid-Base Analysis. In: Silverstein, DC, Hopper, K editors. Small Animal Critical Care Medicine. 2nd ed, St. Louis: Saunders/Elsevier; 2015, pp.296-300. 5. Lian, JX Interpreting and using the arterial blood gas analysis. Critical Care Nursing 2010; 5(3): 26-36. 6. Randels, A. Acid-Base  \nFundamentals","cbCaidIZQaVDLr3f","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaidIZQaVDLr3f","pdf",111534,"English","# Acid and Base Normal Ranges\n## Respiratory component (CO2)\n## Metabolic component (HCO3)\n## pH acidic vs basic\n# Tic-Tac-Toe Grid Method\n## Place pH, CO2, and HCO3 in Acid/Normal/Base\n## Identify three-in-a-row primary disorder\n## Determine partial compensation using the stand-alone value\n# Compensation Patterns and Examples\n## Horizontal three-in-a-row with pH in Normal\n## Rules for pH > 7.4 vs pH \u003C 7.4\n# Patient Result Tables and Notes","[{\"question\":\"How do you use the tic-tac-toe grid to find the primary acid-base disorder?\",\"answer\":\"Place pH, CO2, and HCO3 into the Acid/Normal/Base columns. Wherever three values align in a row, that pattern indicates the primary disorder. If the three-in-a-row includes CO2, it is respiratory; if it includes HCO3, it is metabolic.\"},{\"question\":\"What does it mean if CO2 or HCO3 is in the opposite column?\",\"answer\":\"If the stand-alone value sits in the opposite column, the patient is partially compensating for the underlying disorder. Compensation is considered partial when the pH remains abnormal.\"},{\"question\":\"How do the rules change when pH is in the Normal category (horizontal three-in-a-row)?\",\"answer\":\"When pH is in Normal, compensation exists but an underlying disorder may still require correction. Use pH direction: if pH is greater than 7.4, look in the Base column for the disorder; if pH is less than 7.4, use the Acid column for the disorder. If the relevant value corresponds to CO2 or HCO3 within that column, it can indicate full compensation for respiratory or metabolic processes.\"}]","pHCO3 Basic Blood Gas Interpretation - Easy As Tic Tac Toe - Simplifying interpretation of blood gas results | PDF",1791929244]