Comparative study of capillary and arterial, blood gas values in plastic and glass syringes at various intervals in normal and asthmatic subjects.

Fifty-six normal healthy subjects and forty-four patients with bronchial asthma were subjected to capillary and arterial blood gas analysis. Arterial blood values were measured immediately and at two and four hours interval after storing the samples between 0-4 degrees C using glass and plastic syringes. It was observed that PO2 of arterial blood was significantly higher (P less than 0.001) than capillary PO2 values, while material of syringe and time interval of analysis did not make any significant alteration. PCO2 and pH values in arterial samples at various intervals and in different syringes were comparable in normal as well as in asthmatic subjects.