Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Basic Certification Practice Exam

How can you identify a venous bleed?

1. Bright red and spurting

2. Pulsating and dark red

3. Slow, even flow and dark red

4. Quick bursts and bright red

The correct answer is: Slow, even flow and dark red

Identifying a venous bleed involves understanding the characteristics of the blood that emerges from a damaged vein. A venous bleed typically presents with a slow, even flow of dark red blood. This is because veins carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart, which gives the blood a darker appearance compared to arterial blood. Furthermore, venous pressure is lower than arterial pressure, leading to a more controlled, steady flow rather than a spurting action. In contrast, characteristics such as bright red and spurting blood are indicative of an arterial bleed, where blood is pumped forcefully from the heart with each heartbeat, resulting in a pulsating flow that is often more rapid. A quick burst of bright red blood also signifies arterial injury. Therefore, the attributes of a venous bleed—specifically the slower and steadier nature of the flow combined with the darker shade of the blood—are what accurately identify this type of bleeding.