Table 1

Arterial blood gas analysis before and after stopping salbutamol. The patient's clinical condition and blood gases improved dramatically after cessation of salbutamol. ABGs after 11 hours and 48 hours post-withdrawal of salbutamol are shown.

Time/Date
pH
PaCO2
PaO2
HCO3
BE
Lactate
PEFR
Symptoms/Treatment

11/1/06
21.20 hrs
7.39
3.03 KPa
20.5 KPa
13.6 mmol/l
-11 mmol/l
14.6 mmol/l
230 L/min
Minimal wheeze, SOB+ Reduced dose of Salbutamol
11/1/06
24.00 hrs
7.32
3.01 KPa
18.6 KPa
11.7 mmol/l
-14 mmol/l
11.06 mmol/l
240 L/min
No wheeze, hyperventilation+
12/1/06
3.00 hrs
7.28
2.29 KPa
11.4 KPa
8.3 mmol/l
-19 mmol/l
15.2 mmol/l
230 L/min
SOB+++, hyperventilation
12/1/06
7.00 hrs
7.3
2.13 KPa
13.8 KPa
8.0 mmol/l
-18 mmol/l
10.09 mmol/l
300 L/min
Minimal wheeze Nebulised salbutamol discontinued
12/1/06
23.00 hrs
7.43
3.46 KPa
12.3 KPa
17.6 mmol/l
-7 mmol/l
6.3 mmol/l
300 L/min
No wheeze Continued improvement
14/1/06
10.00 hrs
7.53
3.39 KPa
9.6 KPa
21.0 mmol/l
-2 mmol/l
1.1 mmol/l
320 L/min
Discharged to ward.

Veenith and Pearce International Archives of Medicine 2008 1:3   doi:10.1186/1755-7682-1-3