ART Line Stick

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Hi!

I am a bit confused about a specific situation at clinical. My preceptor and I had to get cultures for a patient in the ICU. We were going to find a spot to stick to collect the blood and my preceptor said "look in the radial area". I asked if we needed a tourniquet and he said no, not for an art stick. I am confused how I would know this is an artery that I am drawing from? If I were to put in an IV, I would feel that spot and assume it was a vein? Please help! Thank you!

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Specializes in Emergency Department.
Hi!

I am a bit confused about a specific situation at clinical. My preceptor and I had to get cultures for a patient in the ICU. We were going to find a spot to stick to collect the blood and my preceptor said "look in the radial area". I asked if we needed a tourniquet and he said no, not for an art stick. I am confused how I would know this is an artery that I am drawing from? If I were to put in an IV, I would feel that spot and assume it was a vein? Please help! Thank you!

If you're looking to do a draw from an artery, basically any place where you can feel a pulse is where there is an artery that is relatively close to the skin. Arterial blood is usually bright red and may be pulsatile (you'd see pulses of blood), depending upon the equipment used to do the draw.

Veins typically do NOT have a pulse and the blood in them is darker than arterial blood. Unless the patient is dead and/or has no peripheral pulses, you shouldn't have any problem distinguishing between an artery and a vein.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Arteries = pulse (hopefully)

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