Which of the following blood vessels carry the deoxygenated blood?

Appeared in: SGPGI Nursing Officer-2022

Explanation

The pulmonary artery is the vessel that carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs.
This is the major exception to the general rule that arteries carry oxygenated blood away from the heart.
In the lungs, this deoxygenated blood releases carbon dioxide and becomes oxygenated before returning to the heart.

Option B: The pulmonary vein carries freshly oxygenated blood from the lungs back to the left atrium of the heart.
Option C: The renal artery is part of the systemic circulation. It branches from the aorta and supplies oxygenated blood to the kidneys.
Option D: The aorta is the largest artery in the body and the main vessel of the systemic circulation. It carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to be distributed to the entire body.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Pulmonary vs. Systemic Circulation and Blood Oxygenation helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Understanding the difference between pulmonary and systemic circulation is fundamental for assessing patients with cardiopulmonary diseases and interpreting diagnostic findings.
For example, in conditions like pulmonary hypertension, the pressure within the pulmonary artery is abnormally high, which strains the right ventricle and can lead to right-sided heart failure.
Knowledge of this unique circulation is critical for understanding congenital heart defects where mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood can occur, such as a Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA).

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core concept of the question, which is the oxygenation status of blood in different vessels.
Recall the general rule for systemic circulation: arteries carry oxygenated blood away from the heart, and veins carry deoxygenated blood toward the heart.
Crucially, remember the major exception to this rule: the pulmonary circulation, which serves the lungs.
In the pulmonary circuit, the roles are reversed. The pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood to the lungs, and the pulmonary vein carries oxygenated blood back to the heart.
Evaluate each option based on this knowledge. The aorta and renal artery are part of the systemic circulation and follow the general rule. The pulmonary vein carries oxygenated blood. This leaves the pulmonary artery as the only option that carries deoxygenated blood.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Physiology Essentials Sembulingam 10e Part 2 p. 164-166

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