17. Which of the following is an anticoagulant?
Answer: D
Enoxaparin is an anticoagulant.
Enoxaparin is a low molecular weight heparin that is used to prevent and treat blood clots. Its anticoagulant properties are well-documented, making it an essential medication in the management of thromboembolic disorders.
A) Etoposide
Etoposide is a chemotherapeutic agent used primarily in the treatment of various types of cancer, particularly testicular cancer and small cell lung cancer. It does not possess any anticoagulant properties and is therefore not relevant to the question.
B) Enalapril
Enalapril is an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor used primarily to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. It functions by relaxing blood vessels but does not have any anticoagulant effects.
C) Erythromycin
Erythromycin is an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections. It works by inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis and does not serve any anticoagulant purpose in clinical practice.
D) Enoxaparin
Enoxaparin is a well-established anticoagulant that prevents the formation of clots by inhibiting factor Xa and thrombin. It is widely used in clinical settings for the prevention and treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).
Conclusion
Enoxaparin is definitively the correct answer as it is specifically designed to function as an anticoagulant, making it crucial in the management of clotting disorders. The other options—Etoposide, Enalapril, and Erythromycin—do not share this property and serve entirely different medical purposes. Thus, they fail to meet the criteria of the question.