1
Anticoagulants, commonly referred to as “blood thinners”, are medications that interfere with the body’s natural blood clotting mechanism. Anticoagulants are necessary if the patient has a deep vein thrombosis (“DVT”), a blood clot in a vital organ such as the heart, brain or liver, or if the patient has a condition that predisposes to blood clot formation such as atrial fibrillation or a hypercoaguability disorder. When a blood vessel is blocked by a clot, the individual could suffer a heart attack, pulmonary embolus or a stroke-all potentially fatal conditions. Anticoagulants also play a vital role in the preventative care of several health conditions. Take this quiz to find out how much you know about anticoagulant medication:
