Final answer:
Arterial bleeding is when bright red blood spurts with each heartbeat, indicating a severed artery. It is more severe than venous bleeding and requires prompt medical attention to control the bleeding.
Step-by-step explanation:
Bleeding that is characterized by bright red blood that spurts with each heartbeat is known as arterial bleeding. This type of bleeding occurs when an artery, a high-pressure blood vessel, is severed, causing blood and blood components to leak out rapidly. Unlike venous bleeding, which involves darker blood flowing steadily, arterial bleeding is more severe due to the oxygen-rich blood spurting out in pulses with the heartbeat.
Petechiae are generally not associated with arterial bleeding; they are small red or purple spots on the skin, arising from blood leaking out of damaged capillaries or small blood vessels, not from a severed artery. Recognizing the characteristics of different types of bleeding, such as arterial and venous, is important in administering first aid and medical treatment to manage the injury and prevent excessive blood loss.