What is an example of an anti-coagulant?

• A. Sorbitol
• B. Sodium phosphate
• C. Sodium citrate
• D. Benzaldehyde

Answer: (C)

An anti-coagulant is a substance that helps to prevent the clotting of blood. In the context of embalming, it is essential to maintain the fluidity of the blood and body fluids to facilitate their replacement with embalming fluid. Sodium citrate is a well-known anti-coagulant that achieves this by binding calcium ions in the blood, which are necessary for the coagulation process. By removing calcium, sodium citrate effectively inhibits clot formation, allowing for better distribution of embalming fluids throughout the vascular system.

This property makes sodium citrate particularly useful in embalming procedures, where it is important to ensure that the body fluids can be adequately treated and replaced without the interference of blood clots which can complicate the embalming process. Other substances listed, such as sorbitol and sodium phosphate, serve different purposes in embalming and do not possess the anticoagulant properties that sodium citrate does. Benzaldehyde, while it has other uses in embalming preparations, is not classified as an anti-coagulant.