what does arterial punctures test for
Radial artery puncture is a medical procedure performed to obtain a sample of arterial blood for gas analysis. Also it is beginning in TRA Trans Radial Access Cardiac coronary angioplasty. A needle is inserted into the radial artery and spontaneously fills with blood. The syringe is either prepacked with a small amount of heparin to prevent coagulation, or must be heparinised, by drawing up a small amount of heparin and squirting it out again. Most commonly, femoral and radial artery puncture is performed to obtain arterial blood sampling for gas analysis. The partial pressures of oxygen (PaO2) and carbon dioxide (PaCO2), and the pH of arterial blood are important in assessing pulmonary function. These data indicate the status of gas exchange between lungs and blood.