Respiratory Therapy Learning Hub
Learn ABG interpretation, oxygenation, acid-base compensation rules, ABG vs VBG differences, chest X-ray basics, and breathwork with a cleaner, more connected learning experience built for students and clinicians.
This hub brings together step-by-step guides, bedside explainers, calculators, practice tools, and clinical posts so you can move from memorization to real interpretation faster.
What you can learn here
Build a stronger respiratory foundation across ABGs, oxygenation, compensation, blood gas comparison, imaging review, and breathing education.
ABG interpretation
Build a repeatable framework for pH, PaCO₂, HCO₃⁻, compensation, and oxygenation.
Oxygenation concepts
Strengthen understanding of hypoxemia, A–a gradient, P/F ratio, and escalation-related bedside concepts.
Clinical comparison
Compare ABG vs VBG, review chest X-rays more systematically, and sharpen pattern recognition.
Breathwork
Explore evidence-informed breathing techniques for calm, focus, recovery, and self-regulation.
These guides are designed to pair with PulmTools calculators and simulators so you can move from quick answers to deeper clinical understanding without leaving the ecosystem.
Featured learning
Start with high-value foundations
ABG Interpretation Guide
Build a reliable framework for pH, PaCO₂, HCO₃⁻, compensation, and oxygenation with a cleaner bedside method.
ABG Compensation Rules
Review Winter’s formula plus expected respiratory and metabolic compensation patterns in one place.
Arterial vs Venous Blood Gas
Understand ABG vs VBG differences, when each is useful, and how interpretation changes clinically.
Breathwork Hub
Explore evidence-informed breathing techniques for calm, focus, recovery, and nervous system regulation.
Compensation mastery
Oxygenation workflow
ABG Foundations
These guides help you build a strong base in arterial blood gas interpretation, compensation, and pattern recognition.
Step-by-step ABG analysis with patterns, compensation rules, and bedside-ready examples.
Use a simple six-step workflow to analyze any ABG with more confidence and less guesswork.
Quick reference for normal ranges, compensation rules, and practical review before exams or shifts.
Work through realistic blood gas cases with structured interpretation logic and clinical context.
Compensation & Acid-Base Reasoning
Move beyond memorization and strengthen the acid-base logic that separates simple compensation from mixed disorders.
Review expected respiratory and metabolic compensation patterns and understand what belongs together.
Learn acute vs chronic respiratory compensation rules and how to spot when bicarbonate does not fit.
Clarify how the kidneys respond to respiratory acidosis and alkalosis over time.
Apply the rules directly with a bedside tool for acute vs chronic respiratory disorder checks.
Estimate expected PaCO₂ in metabolic acidosis and compare measured values to expected respiratory compensation.
Add metabolic pattern support when high-gap acidosis or mixed acid-base processes are in play.
Oxygenation & Respiratory Failure
Strengthen the oxygenation side of respiratory care with practical frameworks for hypoxemia, escalation, and gas exchange.
Learn how oxygenation index works and when it is useful in respiratory failure and critical care.
Use P/F ratio and oxygenation index together to frame oxygenation severity and escalation thinking.
Estimate the alveolar-arterial gradient to better understand causes of hypoxemia.
Assess HFNC response and escalation risk using SpO₂, FiO₂, and respiratory rate.
Understand how the ROX index works and where it fits in bedside respiratory failure assessment.
Use a practical differential for hypoxemia and connect the physiology to bedside decision-making.
Clinical Comparison & Imaging
Compare blood gas types, sharpen CXR review, and connect respiratory data points into faster clinical reasoning.
Understand when ABG vs VBG is appropriate and how interpretation changes in real clinical settings.
Use a structured ABCDEF approach to chest X-ray review and bedside pattern recognition.
Pair your learning with a bedside-style interpretation tool for pH, PaCO₂, HCO₃⁻, and PaO₂.
Practice venous blood gas interpretation and improve acid-base pattern recognition with focused repetition.
PulmTools works best when learning and tools reinforce each other
Read the concept, test your understanding, then use the calculator or simulator. That loop is where PulmTools becomes more than a reference site — it becomes a practical learning system for respiratory care.