Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) Practice Test

The type of bleeding characterized by bright red, spurting blood is arterial bleeding. This occurs when an artery is damaged, resulting in blood that is under high pressure being expelled from the wound in a rhythmic, pulsing manner that corresponds to the heartbeat. The bright red color of the blood is due to its high oxygen content, which is typical for arterial blood.

In contrast, venous bleeding, which comes from a damaged vein, tends to produce a darker red, steady flow of blood, as it is deoxygenated and under lower pressure. Capillary bleeding occurs from small, superficial vessels and usually results in oozing rather than a spurt. Internal bleeding is not characterized by the outward flow of blood and usually presents with other symptoms such as swelling, pain, or changes in vital signs, rather than a visible bleeding pattern.