🩸 "This medication will not break down clots but will make it less likely that the clot will get larger." — Warfarin is an anticoagulant, not a thrombolytic. It prevents further clot formation and growth but does not dissolve existing clots. The body naturally breaks down clots over time.

🩸 "It will break down the clot within 8 to 12 hours of administration." — This is incorrect. Warfarin does not dissolve clots and doesn’t work that rapidly.

🩸 "It will take 7 to 10 days for the clot to break down." — Misleading. While warfarin may take a few days to become therapeutic, clot breakdown is done by the body, not the drug.

🩸 "You will need to be on this medication for a long time before it will break down the clot." — Warfarin won’t break down the clot at all, regardless of duration.

🌿 Labeling is not always reliable and herbal products should be used with caution — Herbal supplements are not regulated as strictly as prescription medications by the FDA. This means label accuracy, purity, dosage, and safety can vary between brands, making education essential to avoid interactions or misuse.

🌿 Herbal products are approved under strict FDA regulations — False. The FDA classifies herbal products as dietary supplements, not drugs, and they are not subject to the same rigorous standards.

🌿 There are so few side effects, and they can be purchased without a prescription — While available over-the-counter, many herbal products do have side effects and drug interactions, especially with anticoagulants, antidiabetics, and cardiac medications.

🌿 The manufacturer has repeatedly demonstrated effectiveness — Effectiveness claims are often not backed by strong clinical evidence, and regulations do not require proof of efficacy.

🩹 Signs and symptoms of bruising and bleeding — Enoxaparin is a low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) used to prevent blood clots after surgery. As an anticoagulant, its primary side effect is bleeding, so the nurse should monitor for bruising, nosebleeds, blood in urine or stool, gum bleeding, and other signs of hemorrhage.

🩹 Clotting at the incision site — Enoxaparin helps prevent clot formation, so this is not the expected complication — bleeding is.

🩹 Increased pain — Some post-op pain is expected, but this is not specific to enoxaparin's effects and not the main concern.

🩹 Gingival hyperplasia — This is associated with drugs like phenytoin, not enoxaparin.

🟣 Platelets (also called thrombocytes) are essential for hemostasis, the body’s natural process to stop bleeding. When a blood vessel is injured, platelets are the first responders—they adhere to the damaged site, become activated, and clump together to form a platelet plug, which initiates clot formation.

🟣 White blood cells — These are part of the immune system, responsible for fighting infection, not for stopping bleeding.

🟣 Antibodies — These are immune proteins that target pathogens, but they do not contribute to clotting or hemostasis.

🟣 Red blood cells — RBCs carry oxygen, and while they may get trapped in clots, they do not initiate the clotting process.

🧾 Clopidogrel is an antiplatelet medication used to prevent blood clots in patients at risk for stroke or heart attack. It inhibits platelet aggregation, which increases the risk for bleeding. One important sign of gastrointestinal bleeding is black, tarry stools (melena) — this must be monitored closely.

🧾 Have suction equipment at the bedside — This is not routinely required for clopidogrel unless the patient is at risk for airway obstruction, which is not a typical complication of antiplatelet therapy.

🧾 Administer the medication with each meal — Clopidogrel is usually taken once daily, and not necessarily with meals. It does not require food to be effective.

🧾 Initiate contact precautions — Clopidogrel does not affect infection control and does not require isolation precautions.