ABGs and Ramadan

I withdrew an arterial sample for ABG analysis from a patient a few days ago. After a couple of attempts I finally got it, and while I was almost 90% certain it was arterial, after the results of the ABG came out with a pH of 7.1 I immediately started doubting myself. How could this be an arterial sample? Surely I took a venous sample by accident...

Even so...are venous samples really that acidotic? 

My urology resident asked me to tell him the results of the ABG on the phone and I hesitantly told him the results and was about to apologize about probably taking a venous sample. He told me that this wasnt a venous sample, but was in fact an arterial one taken from a patient with severe acidosis as a result of acute renal failure.

This little situation made me really think...It is hard to stay on your ground when things go unexpectedly wrong. 

You expect certain things and when they go wrong after you do them, you doubt yourself. Did I really do the right thing?

People in uncertainly oscillate between arrogant/ignorant self confidence and the other extreme which is complete incontinent self doubt.

In medicine it is so important to be confident of oneself yet at the same time leave room for doubt. A margin of error.

Ramadan is here by the way! How intruiguing. This is the first time I spend most of my Ramadan in the hospital. Today I'll be breaking fast in the middle of the shift at around 7pm and then continue on working. I dont know how that will go, but it will be certainly something different! 

I'll be back soon!