Online course · In development
Bloodwork, Lab Values and POCT
Learn a consistent three-step approach to blood gases, lactate and point-of-care chemistry, and what each result means for the patient in front of you.
- For
- ACP and CCP learners
- Length
- Approximately two and a half hours
- Format
- 12 modules, 13 lessons
- Level
- ACP and CCP
- Includes
- Assessment and certificate
- Access
- Free with a Delta Tutor account when available
Taught by
Jarrett
Advanced Care Paramedic · CRC Instructor Trainer · Owner
Nickie
Advanced Care Paramedic · Community Paramedic · Responder Educator
Who this course is for
- Critical care paramedics reviewing blood gas and laboratory interpretation
- Advanced care paramedics building blood gas skills
- Working practitioners refreshing a structured interpretation process
Every lesson is scoped to the ACP and CCP level: the terminology, the medications and the clinical actions it teaches are the ones those levels use.
What you will be able to do
- Read any blood gas in three steps: the pH, the cause, the compensation
- Calculate an anion gap and check compensation
- Read oxygenation, lactate and electrolyte results
- Recognise a result the sample may have spoiled
The analyzer you will practise on
Results ready. 11 results on 3 pages.
| Result | Value | Unit | Flag | Reference range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 140 | mmol/L | 135 to 145 | |
| Potassium | 6.8 | mmol/L | critical high | 3.5 to 5.1 |
| Chloride | 105 | mmol/L | 98 to 106 | |
| Ionized calcium | none | mmol/L | Not recorded in this case. | 1.15 to 1.35 |
| Total carbon dioxide | 14 | mmol/L | low | 23 to 27 |
| Glucose | none | mmol/L | Not recorded in this case. | 3.9 to 5.8 |
| Urea | none | mmol/L | Not recorded in this case. | 2.9 to 8.2 |
| Creatinine | none | µmol/L | Not recorded in this case. | 53 to 106 |
| Hematocrit | none | %PCV | Not recorded in this case. | 42 to 52 |
| Anion gap (calculated) | 29 | mmol/L | high | 10 to 20 |
| Hemoglobin (calculated) | none | g/L | Not recorded in this case. | 140 to 170 |
Practise reading blood gas and lab results on a simulated handheld analyzer.
Try the analyzerCurriculum
12 modules and 13 lessons, approximately two and a half hours in all. Open a module to see its lessons.
Lesson times are recorded when each lesson is written and validated with learners.
Why blood gases matter, and which sample you have1 lessonReadingLocked
- What this course is, and what each sample can tell youReadingLocked
Sample quality1 lessonReadingLocked
- When not to trust the numberReadingLocked
Acid-base in plain terms1 lessonReadingLocked
- pH, CO2, bicarbonate and base excessReadingLocked
A stepwise interpretation method2 lessonsReading, Interactive practiceLocked
- Three steps: the pH, the cause, the compensationReadingLocked
- Three steps in the Blood Gas LabInteractive practiceLocked
Anion gap, albumin and the delta ratio1 lessonReadingLocked
- Sorting a metabolic acidosisReadingLocked
Oxygenation1 lessonReadingLocked
- PaO2, saturation, the P/F ratio and the A-a gradientReadingLocked
Lactate1 lessonReadingLocked
- What raises a lactate, and what it meansReadingLocked
Electrolytes and chemistry on the cartridge1 lessonReadingLocked
- Sodium to hemoglobin: what changes the conversationReadingLocked
The i-STAT point-of-care analyzer1 lessonReadingLocked
- How a handheld analyzer works, checks itself and failsReadingLocked
Beyond the cartridge: kidney, liver, blood count, clotting, urine and cultures1 lessonReadingLocked
- What the rest of the laboratory report meansReadingLocked
Putting it together1 lessonReadingLocked
- Three worked casesReadingLocked
Summative assessment1 lessonFinal assessmentLocked
- Summative assessmentFinal assessmentLocked
Instructors
Jarrett
Advanced Care Paramedic · CRC Instructor Trainer · Owner
Jarrett is an Advanced Care Paramedic and a Canadian Red Cross Instructor Trainer, and teaches Delta's classroom courses in Calgary and Leduc. This course is written from that classroom and from the road.
A named clinician reviews and approves every course before publication. For this course, that is Jarrett.
Nickie
Advanced Care Paramedic · Community Paramedic · Responder Educator
Nickie is an Advanced Care Paramedic with 19 years in EMS and currently serves as a Mobile Integrated Healthcare community paramedic with Alberta's leading EMS health authority. She is a respected educator across EMR, PCP, and ACP training environments.
Meet the team →Assessment
The course ends with a final assessment. You see your score by topic and read an explanation for every answer, and you can retake it. Passing it completes the course.
Certificate and continuing education
- The course on your certificate
- Bloodwork, Lab Values and POCT
- What the certificate confirms
- That you completed this online Delta Tutor course and passed its assessment. It is not a Canadian Red Cross certificate.
- How it is verified
- Every certificate carries a unique verification number that anyone can check on our verify page.
Questions
- When does it open?
- After the lessons are written and a clinician has approved them. The status at the top of this page is the true one.
- How do I get it?
- Free with a Delta Tutor account when available.
- Do I need an account?
- To take a course, yes, so your progress and certificate stay with you. The free tools and practice tests do not need one.