Difference in hue between arterial (brighter) and venous (dark | The Medical Herald

Difference in hue between arterial (brighter) and venous (darker) blood!!

The upper 2 syringes are containing dark red blood drawn from a vein, while the bottom 3 syringes contain more reddish and brighter blood taken from an arterial source.
Arterial blood is the oxygenated blood in the circulatory system found in the pulmonary vein, the left chambers of the heart, and in the arteries. It is bright red in color, while venous blood is dark red in color (but looks purple through the translucent skin).

Venous blood is deoxygenated (lower in oxygen and has higher concentration of carbon dioxide, giving it a dark colour) blood that flows from tiny capillary blood vessels within the tissues into progressively larger veins to the right side of the heart.

It is then pumped by the right ventricle to the lungs via the pulmonary artery which is divided in two branches, going to the left and right lungs. Blood is oxygenated in the lungs and returns to the left atrium through the pulmonary veins.

Venous blood is the specimen of choice for most routine laboratory tests, obtained by direct puncture to a vein, most often located in the antecubital area of the arm or the back (top) of the hand. It is typically colder than arterial blood, and has a lower oxygen content and pH. It also has lower concentrations of glucose and other nutrients, and has higher concentrations of urea and other waste products.
The most common reason for collection of arterial blood is the evaluation of arterial blood gases. It may be obtained directly from the artery (commonly the radial artery) by personnel who are trained to perform this procedure and are knowledgeable about the complications that could occur as a result of this procedure. Arterial blood may also be obtained from a vascular access device (VAD) inserted in an artery such as a femoral arterial line or Swan-Gantz catheter.


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