What may anticoagulants cause during procedures?

• A. May cause infection
• B. May cause excess bleeding
• C. May cause numbness
• D. May cause scarring

Answer: (B)

Anticoagulants slow clot formation, so during a procedure the body’s ability to stop bleeding is reduced. This makes excess or prolonged bleeding the most likely complication, as any tissue injury or injection can continue to ooze and may lead to hematoma if not managed. Infection, numbness, and scarring aren’t direct results of taking anticoagulants—the first relates to pathogens and asepsis, the second to nerve injury or anesthesia, and the third to tissue healing—whereas the drug’s primary effect is increasing bleeding risk.