Which indicator distinguishes arterial ABG from venous blood during collection?

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Multiple Choice

Which indicator distinguishes arterial ABG from venous blood during collection?

The key idea is that arterial blood is under higher, pulsatile pressure, so when you draw it into a syringe it often fills in a rhythmic, heartbeat-driven way. That pulsing flow is the practical cue that the sample is arterial rather than venous. Venous blood, drawn from veins at lower pressure, tends to fill the syringe steadily without any pulse guidance. Color can vary and isn’t reliable enough to distinguish sources, and air bubbles are a collection artifact that can appear in either sample. So the best indicator is the pulsatile filling of the syringe.

The key idea is that arterial blood is under higher, pulsatile pressure, so when you draw it into a syringe it often fills in a rhythmic, heartbeat-driven way. That pulsing flow is the practical cue that the sample is arterial rather than venous. Venous blood, drawn from veins at lower pressure, tends to fill the syringe steadily without any pulse guidance. Color can vary and isn’t reliable enough to distinguish sources, and air bubbles are a collection artifact that can appear in either sample. So the best indicator is the pulsatile filling of the syringe.

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