Respiratory Therapist

Answers: A, B &D - Possible errors can occur while obtaining an ABG sample to include room air contamination, residual heparin, and prolonged puncture.

The presence of room air bubbles in an ABG sample will alter the values towards those of room air. If a sample has residua heparin in the dead space of the sample, the device can change the values towards that of heparin. A prolonged puncture is very painful to the patient and can cause hyperventilation and alter the state of sample from true resting state.