What is the oxygen content of whole blood if Hgb = 10g/dL, PaO2 = 60mmHg, and SaO2 = 90%?

To determine the oxygen content of whole blood, one must consider both the dissolved oxygen and the oxygen bound to hemoglobin. The formula to calculate the total oxygen content (CaO2) is:

[ CaO2 = (0.003 \times PaO2) + (SaO2 \times Hgb \times 1.34) ]

Where:

• CaO2 is the total oxygen content in mL/dL of blood.

• PaO2 is the partial pressure of oxygen in mmHg.

• SaO2 is the arterial oxygen saturation (as a fraction).

• Hgb is the hemoglobin concentration in g/dL.

• The factor 1.34 mL O2/g Hgb indicates how much oxygen is carried by each gram of hemoglobin.

Given the values:

• Hgb = 10 g/dL

• PaO2 = 60 mmHg

• SaO2 = 90% or 0.90 when used in calculations.

Now, we can calculate it step by step:

1. Calculate the dissolved oxygen component:

[ 0.003 \times PaO2 = 0.003 \times 60 = 0.18 , mL/d