Certified Surgical First Assistant (CSFA) Practice Test

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What is the primary mechanism of action in heparin?

  1. Breaks down the clot

  2. Increases blood clotting factors

  3. Stimulates platelet production

  4. Inhibits thrombin formation

The correct answer is: Breaks down the clot

The primary mechanism of action of heparin involves inhibiting thrombin formation, which is critical to the clotting process. Heparin achieves this by enhancing the activity of antithrombin III, a natural inhibitor of thrombin and other clotting factors. When antithrombin III is activated, it effectively inactivates thrombin, thereby preventing blood clots from forming or existing clots from enlarging. While it's essential to understand the roles of other processes in blood clotting, such as the production of clotting factors and platelet activation, these do not accurately describe heparin's mechanism. Instead, heparin's role is to prevent the formation of clots rather than break them down, stimulate their production, or increase clotting factors. Therefore, recognizing heparin's function in inhibiting thrombin formation clarifies its purpose as an anticoagulant in clinical settings.