Partial Pressure of Oxygen, Arterial

Abbreviation: PaO2

Panel: Blood Gas Tests · All blood gas tests

Typical adult reference range

Conventional units80–100 mmHg
SI units10.7–13.3 kPa

Ranges vary between laboratories and methods — compare your result with the range printed on your own report.

What a high or low result can mean

High partial pressure of oxygen, arterial: high values can be seen in people receiving supplemental oxygen.

Low partial pressure of oxygen, arterial: low values may occur in lung disease, hypoventilation, and at high altitude.

These are associations, not a diagnosis: the same result can have several causes, and your clinician interprets it with the rest of your results and history.

Good to know

Expected values fall with age and altitude and rise with supplemental oxygen.

Please note: Reference ranges vary between laboratories, and between the methods and instruments they use — the range printed on your own report is the one your result should be compared with. A result outside the range is not by itself a diagnosis, and a result inside it does not rule out illness. These pages are an educational summary, not medical advice: always discuss your results with the clinician who ordered them, who can interpret them in the context of your health and history.