#71 Cord Gas Essentials: What L&D Nurses Need to Know

This episode on Happy Hour with Bundle Birth Nurses, Sarah Lavonne is joined with Bundle Birth educator, Heidi Nielsen in this enlightening episode as they dive into the critical world of cord gas analysis. Understanding cord gas results is essential in guiding newborn care, particularly for identifying infants at risk of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) who may need therapeutic cooling.

Sarah and Heidi break down the basics of interpreting arterial and venous cord gases, explaining why parameters like pH, PCO2, and base deficit matter so much. They discuss the signs of respiratory and metabolic acidosis, how each can impact a newborn’s health, and why proper sample collection is so important—especially in settings without immediate NICU access.

In this episode, you’ll learn how these essential numbers reveal vital clues about a newborn’s condition, empowering nurses to support and advocate for newborns from the very start.

EDIT at 12:59: ACOG says 7.0 for pH, AWHONN says 7.1, 
What the research shows is that injury occurs at 7.18, and injury becomes more likely as you continue to move towards 7.0. Normal pH is actually considered to be 7.2.

Helpful Links: 

• Follow on Instagram and stay tuned Wednesday for Test Your Knowledge day.
• Join our Mentorship Program!
• RNC-OB Exam Prep Class