An evaluation of blood gas analysis use and ICD (International Classification of Diseases) codes in the pediatric emergency department

Aim: Blood gas analysis is one of the indispensable laboratory tests used to identify and monitor critical patients in emergency departments. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relation between blood gas analysis and patients’ International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes by retrospectively investigating the records of subjects undergoing blood gas analysis in the pediatric emergency department. Methods: Patients presenting to the pediatric emergency department between 01.04.2018 and 30.04.2018 for any reason and undergoing blood gas analysis were included in the study. Age (months), sex (male, female), diagnoses (ICD codes), and blood gas analysis results were recorded. Patients were divided into three groups based on their blood gas analysis results - Group 1, with blood pH values of 7.35-7.45, Group 2, with values <7.35, and Group 3, with values >7.45. The groups were then compared in terms of the data elicited. Results: Six hundred eleven patients were included, 316 boys (51.7%) and 295 girls (48.3%). Group 1 consisted of 426 (69.7%) patients, Group 2 of 120 (19.6%) and Group 3 of 65 (10.6%). Significant differences were determined among the groups in terms of age, but not in terms of gender. No statistically significant difference was observed at comparison of groups’ ICD diagnostic codes (p=0.143). Conclusion: Blood gas analysis results of patients referring to the pediatric emergency department were normal in two-thirds of patients. The absence of any statistically significant difference in terms of IDC codes between subjects with abnormal and normal blood gas analysis results shows that interpretation of blood gas analysis should not be based on ICD codes, and that more study is required on the subject