Effective Dec. 12, 2025

Background Information: In an effort to standardize test reporting practices across Manitoba, blood gas panels reported by Shared Health Diagnostic Services will no longer include Total CO₂ (TCO₂).

TCO₂ will continue to be a standalone orderable at all sites.
All blood gas panels will continue to include bicarbonate (HCO₃-), which is the gold standard for assessing acid-base disturbances:

The Mixed Venous (MGAS) test panel will remain unchanged at this time. We are continuing to work on standardizing reporting in collaboration with Respiratory Therapy groups throughout the province, and MGAS specimens are not consistently assessed at every site. We hope to address this in the near future.

System Improvements:

• This will bring laboratory blood gas reporting in line with the practices of the Respiratory Therapy teams in Brandon and the WRHA, providing consistency of result reporting across all health authorities.

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Submitted by: Tamara Burnham, Collaborative Practice Lead