Samples for arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis drawn by arterial puncture differ from samples drawn by venous access because in arterial puncture:

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In arterial puncture, the anticoagulant is in the syringe, not in the evacuated tube as in venous access. This is because it is important to ensure that the blood does not clot during transportation and storage of the sample. Site selection is also critical in arterial puncture, as the artery needs to be accessed at a specific location to get an accurate measurement of arterial blood gas values. The appearance of blood in the needle hub does not necessarily mean that the blood vessel has been entered.

Samples for Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) Analysis Drawn by Arterial