Are arterial blood gases necessary in the evaluation of acutely dyspneic patients?

Arterial blood gases (ABG) are obtained commonly in dyspneic persons presenting to emergency departments. The study by Burri and colleagues found that the information contained in ABG fails to distinguish between pulmonary and other causes of dyspnea. On the other hand, arterial pH was highly predictive of ICU admission and outcome. Until large clinical studies show equivalence between peripheral venous and ABG, we will continue to advocate the use of ABG in the evaluation of acute dyspnea.