Bright red blood in an injury generally indicates what type of vessel is damaged?

Bright red blood in an injury typically indicates that a pulsating artery has been damaged. This is because arterial blood is oxygenated and is under higher pressure than venous blood, which causes it to be bright red and to spurt or pulse from the wound in rhythm with the heartbeat. In contrast, if a vein were damaged, the blood would be darker red and flow more steadily, rather than spurting. Capillary bleeding, on the other hand, would result in a slow oozing of blood, often mixed with bodily fluids. The mention of muscle in this context does not relate to the color or type of bleeding but rather to potential tissue involved in the injury. Thus, the presence of bright red blood and its pulsating quality strongly point to the involvement of an artery in the injury.