Anticoagulants

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 * Anticoagulants**
 * a substance that hinders clotting of blood and tends to prevent new clots from forming or an existing clot from enlarging.
 * ingredient of embalming fluids that retards the natural postmortem tendency of blood to become more viscous by natural postmortem processes or prevents adverse reactions between blood and other embalming chemicals.
 * They maintain blood in liquid state and, thus, facilitate the removal of blood from the circulatory system.
 * This chemical is found in embalming fluid and is used to keep the blood in a liquid state. It helps loosen clots in the blood due to refrigeration or due to a large amount of time between death and embalming. It aids in quicker and easier drainage and results in a successful embalming.
 * Anticoagulants soften the framework of clots so they break into smaller pieces.
 * They enhance the the function of the arterial fluid by reducing the hardness of water.
 * When they are added to the embalming solution, they produce and alkaline condition which enhances the coloring properties and actions of dyes.
 * Anticoagulants do not dissolve blood clots.
 * The chemicals employed for this purpose can also function as water softeners or water conditioners to reduce the hardness of water used in the embalming solutions.
 * Water softeners must be packaged in seperate formulations because of high concentration of chelating chemicals that are not always compatible with other substances in embalming chemicals over a long shelf life.


 * Examples of Anticoagulants**
 * Sodium Citrate
 * Sodium Oxalate
 * Sodium Salt of EDTA (chelate)