What cord blood pH and BD defines birth acidemia?

UA pH 12 mmol/L defines significant metabolic acidosis correlating with neonatal morbidity. pH 7.0-7.1 with BD 8-12 is mild acidemia. pH 16 is associated with HIE risk.

What does UV-UA pH discordance indicate?

UV pH significantly lower than UA (UV-UA pH gap 0.04 above UA) indicates placental transfer as the primary determinant of fetal oxygenation.

Does low pH alone diagnose HIE?

No. HIE diagnosis requires: perinatal event + pH 12 + organ dysfunction. Low pH alone (isolated acidemia) without encephalopathy does not meet cooling therapy criteria. Sarnat staging is required for HIE therapeutic decision.

Umbilical Cord Blood Gas Interpretation (Arterial/Venous)

Interpret umbilical arterial (UA) and venous (UV) cord blood gas values at birth. UA pH <7.0 with BD >12 mmol/L defines metabolic acidosis associated with HIE. Differentiates acute vs chronic hypoxia from pattern of UA vs UV discordance.

Weight (kg)

Height (cm)

⚕ Clinical Disclaimer: These calculators are for educational and reference purposes only. Always verify results with qualified clinical judgment and current clinical guidelines. Do not use as a sole basis for medical decisions.

How to use this calculator

1
Enter patient clinical data
Enter the patient's age, weight, lab values, vitals, or clinical findings into the Umbilical Cord Blood Gas Interpretation (Arterial/Venous) input fields.
2
Select the clinical scoring system
Select or confirm the appropriate clinical scoring system or reference range for the patient population.
3
Calculate the clinical score
Press Calculate to compute the clinical score, risk estimate, or diagnostic result.
4
Interpret the result
Review the output against the provided reference ranges, risk categories, or guideline thresholds. Consult a qualified clinician before acting on results.

Formula

Result = f(patient inputs, clinical reference)

patient inputs: Age, weight, height, lab values, vitals, or clinical findings entered into the Cord Blood Gas.
clinical reference: Reference range, scoring system, or population standard the result is compared against.
Result: Computed clinical score, risk estimate, or diagnostic value.

Clinical results are decision-support only and must be interpreted by a qualified clinician.

Glossary and Definitions

Clinical score: A numeric value derived from patient inputs that estimates risk, severity, or diagnostic likelihood for a given condition.
Reference range: The set of values considered normal for a healthy population, used to interpret a calculated result.
Sensitivity: The probability that a positive result correctly identifies a patient with the condition.
Specificity: The probability that a negative result correctly identifies a patient without the condition.
Cord blood gas: A key concept referenced by the Cord Blood Gas: Interpret umbilical arterial (UA) and venous (UV) cord blood gas values at birth. UA pH <7.0 with BD >12 mmol/L defines metabolic acidosis associated with HIE. Differentiates acute vs chronic hypoxia from pattern of UA vs UV discordance.
Umbilical artery pH: A key concept referenced by the Cord Blood Gas: Interpret umbilical arterial (UA) and venous (UV) cord blood gas values at birth. UA pH <7.0 with BD >12 mmol/L defines metabolic acidosis associated with HIE. Differentiates acute vs chronic hypoxia from pattern of UA vs UV discordance.
Base deficit: A key concept referenced by the Cord Blood Gas: Interpret umbilical arterial (UA) and venous (UV) cord blood gas values at birth. UA pH <7.0 with BD >12 mmol/L defines metabolic acidosis associated with HIE. Differentiates acute vs chronic hypoxia from pattern of UA vs UV discordance.
Neonatal acidosis: A key concept referenced by the Cord Blood Gas: Interpret umbilical arterial (UA) and venous (UV) cord blood gas values at birth. UA pH <7.0 with BD >12 mmol/L defines metabolic acidosis associated with HIE. Differentiates acute vs chronic hypoxia from pattern of UA vs UV discordance.
HIE diagnosis: A key concept referenced by the Cord Blood Gas: Interpret umbilical arterial (UA) and venous (UV) cord blood gas values at birth. UA pH <7.0 with BD >12 mmol/L defines metabolic acidosis associated with HIE. Differentiates acute vs chronic hypoxia from pattern of UA vs UV discordance.