Transition from routine arterial blood gas testing to indication-based testing in the intensive care unit: A sustainability in quality improvement initiative.

Richard Anderson, Debra Chalmers, Louise Trent

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in Future healthcare journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

1citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

Decision making at the front door.Future healthcare journal · 2026
Article

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Richard AndersonIntensive Care Unit, Hawke's Bay Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Hospital, Te Whatu Ora Te Matau a Māui Hawke's Bay, Hastings, New Zealand.

Debra ChalmersIntensive Care Unit, Hawke's Bay Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Hospital, Te Whatu Ora Te Matau a Māui Hawke's Bay, Hastings, New Zealand.

Louise TrentIntensive Care Unit, Hawke's Bay Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Hospital, Te Whatu Ora Te Matau a Māui Hawke's Bay, Hastings, New Zealand.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Unnecessary routine blood testing is associated with patient harm, increased length of stay, increased cost, increased environmental harm and reduced nursing efficiency. Transition from routine arterial blood gas (ABG) testing to indication-based testing in one intensive care unit in New Zealand led to significant reduction in ABG testing and improved sustainable value without causing harm to patients. This was achieved through a Sustainability in Quality Improvement (SusQI) project involving a guideline, education programme, visual cues and audit and feedback. The impact has been sustained for 2 years post-intervention.

Indexed as

Arterial blood gasIndication-based testingIntensive careQuality improvementSustainability

Identifiers

PMID42111543

DOI10.1016/j.fhj.2026.100528

PMCPMC13157046

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata

LicenceCC BY

Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.