摘要：Introduction Undergraduate interns and residents of the different specialties are the first to have contact with the patient and request studies such as arterial blood gas analysis, interpret it and, from that, give an adequate diagnosis and treatment. However, the percentage of error in the preanalytical phase and in the interpretation can be high. The objective of this research is to evaluate the level of knowledge that undergraduate interns and residents have of the preanalytical phase and the interpretation of arterial blood gases. Materials and methods Prospective, observational and cross-sectional study with a non-probabilistic convenience sample. A measurement instrument was applied to 54 undergraduate interns and first-year residents, where knowledge about the preanalytics and interpretation of arterial blood gas was evaluated. Results In general knowledge, none of the participants had a sufficiently advanced level, in sufficient basic knowledge the residents were superior to the undergraduate interns, most of the undergraduate interns had insufficient knowledge. Regarding knowledge of preanalytics and physiology, neither group was superior to the other, preanalytics being the area with less knowledge. Regarding the knowledge of basic and advanced interpretation, the group of residents had a higher level of knowledge, however, this level was not sufficient for an adequate interpretation. Discussion The knowledge about arterial blood gas (preanalytical and interpretation) in undergraduate interns and residents is not within the expected. It is necessary to carry out an adequate teaching plan in medical schools and teaching hospitals.
