To ensure safe IV access, it’s vital to distinguish between veins and arteries. This knowledge is particularly important for injections and blood draws.
Here are the key differences:
- Location: Arteries are usually located deeper in the body compared to veins, which are often closer to the skin’s surface.
- Pulse: Arteries carry blood away from the heart, so they have a pulse that can often be felt. Veins do not have a palpable pulse.
- Oxygenation of blood: Typically, arteries carry oxygenated blood (except for the pulmonary artery), which is bright red in color, whereas veins carry deoxygenated blood, which is darker.
- Wall thickness and elasticity: Arteries have thicker and more elastic walls than veins, as they need to withstand higher pressure from the heart pumping blood.
- Valves: Veins often have valves that help keep blood flowing toward the heart, while arteries do not have valves (except for the aortic and pulmonary valves at their origins).
Structure of a valve in a vein.
- Pressure: Blood pressure in arteries is much higher than in veins.
- Blood flow: Blood in the arteries flows rapidly and under high pressure, while in the veins, it flows more slowly and under low pressure.
- Direction of blood flow: Arteries carry blood away from the heart, while veins carry blood back to the heart.
Advance your IV skills with the NYSORA IV Access App! Explore many resources, including easy-to-follow algorithms, expert tips, and clinical videos. Perfect for healthcare professionals at any level, download today and start improving your IV catheterization techniques!
The post Understanding vascular anatomy: How to distinguish between veins and arteries appeared first on NYSORA.