CONFIRMATION OF SPURIOUS HYPOXEMIA USING CONTINUOUS BLOOD-GAS ANALYSIS IN A PATIENT WITH CHRONIC MYELOGENOUS LEUKEMIA

Patients with extreme leukocytosis or thrombocytosis who have hypoxemi a on arterial blood gas analysis may demonstrate normal oxygen saturat ion using pulse oximetry. The most commonly invoked explanation for th is phenomenon is oxygen consumption in the blood gas sample prior to a nalysis. However, others have challenged the premise that the hypoxemi a is spurious. We describe a patient with extreme leukocytosis and hyp oxemia in whom normoxia was confirmed by continuous blood gas analysis .