Arterial Blood Gas in Peruvian School Children at 3185 Meters of Altitude and At Sea Level

Arterial blood gas studies performed in high altitude residents have been in adults and older adults. Similar studies in healthy resident adolescents are unknown. The objectives were to compare the averages of arterial blood gases in school children residing at Huamachuco (H) (3185 meters above sea level) and school children residing at Trujillo (T) (34 meters above sea level). Descriptive, cross‐sectional and comparative study. 72 school children of both sexes were randomly selected according to the inclusion criterio during the month of june 2017. 36 samples of arterial blood gases were collected in H and 36 samples in T. The average age in T was 15.97 and in H it was 16.14 year old, the average BMI in Trujillo was 22.75 and in Huamachuco it was 20.86, the average PAS in T was 120.89 and in H it was 115 mmHg, the average PAD in T was 73.75 and in H it was 68 mmHg. The average pH of school children in H was 7.47 and in T it was 7.40. The average pO2 in H was 73.56 and in T it was 100.86 mmHg. The average pCO2 in H was 27.46 and in T it was 40.31 mmHg. The average TCO2 in H was 21.44 and in T it was 26.56 mmol/L. The average Sat O2 in H was 96.07 and in T 97.89 %. The average Beb in H was ‐2.43 and in T it was 0.42. The average HCO3‐ in H was 20.3 mEq/L and in T 25.26. Significant differences were found when comparing the values of arterial blood gases at 3185 and 34 meters above sea levels in Peruvian school children.