Is there any common english answer explaining how various
anticoagulants work? EDTA,Sodium Fluroide,Sodium Heparin,
Lithium Heparin, Potassium Oxalate. I am having mid-terms next
week and I really have not grasped the concept yet. All I
understand is that they prevent the clotting of blood. That is
not good enough! Blood clotting is actually a very complicated
process. There are two pathways-the intrinsic system and the
extrinsic system and there are 12 steps in the pathway for a
blood clot to form. If you think about it, you don't want blood
clots to form unless you really need them, so there are many
steps which must be completed. When you first get an injury, the
cells lining the capillaries are damaged and they release a
chemical which attracts platelets to the area. The platelets are
cells which stick together and form a temporary plug until a
clot can be made. Then platelets release a factor which starts
the clotting process on its way. Each step must happen in the
right order for a clot to be finally f