Qualified Medication Aides (QMA) Practice Exam

What is the main use of anticoagulants?

1. Increase blood pressure

2. Prevent formation of clots

3. Relieve cough

4. Enhance lung function

The correct answer is: Prevent formation of clots

Anticoagulants are primarily used to prevent the formation of blood clots. These medications work by inhibiting the activity of clotting factors in the blood, which reduces the ability for clots to form within blood vessels. This is crucial in preventing conditions such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and strokes, particularly in individuals with risk factors for clot formation. Effective management of clotting can lead to improved patient outcomes, especially in those who have undergone surgeries or have specific medical conditions that increase their risk of thrombosis. In contrast, the other options refer to entirely different physiological processes. Increasing blood pressure does not align with the function of anticoagulants. Relieving cough pertains to different classes of medications, typically expectorants or suppressants, and enhancing lung function is relevant to bronchodilators or similar respiratory medications. Each of those functions focuses on clear and distinct health issues that are unrelated to the role of anticoagulants in the manipulation of clotting mechanisms within the circulatory system.