Introduction:

one of the least discussed issues and that little is understood about it, is patient safety. It has recently become a ubiquitous and controversial issue, especially for some medical organizations.

Objective:

to systematize theoretical references related to the particularities of the process of sample taking and analysis of blood gases.

Method:

the main elements that gravitate in this phase are analyzed for the blood gas analysis, as well as the influence that these can have on the quality of the results and the clinical and laboratory practices to optimize it.

Development:

the preanalytical phase is the one that precedes the performance of a trial or laboratory study and includes the preparation of the patient, the preparation of the analysis request and the care for obtaining the samples. The attention that the attending physician and laboratory staff give to this phase is directly proportional to the quality of the results that will be obtained.

Conclusions:

the analysis of pH and blood gases should always be considered as an emergency study. The sample should not remain for more than ten minutes at room temperature and when the analysis takes more than 15 minutes, the sample should be stored in ice water.

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