Which statement best describes anticoagulant rodenticide action?

Which statement best describes anticoagulant rodenticide action?

• A. They kill by disrupting nerve impulses
• B. They cause death from internal bleeding due to inhibited clotting
• C. They target the liver to cause failure
• D. They function by dehydrating tissues

Answer: (C)

Anticoagulant rodenticides cause death by preventing blood from clotting properly. They block the recycling of vitamin K, so the liver can’t activate the vitamin K–dependent clotting factors (II, VII, IX, and X). Without functional factors, even minor injuries lead to prolonged, uncontrollable bleeding, typically resulting in internal hemorrhages that can be fatal. This mechanism is about impaired coagulation, not nerve disruption, direct liver failure, or dehydration of tissues.

Anticoagulant rodenticides cause death by preventing blood from clotting properly. They block the recycling of vitamin K, so the liver can’t activate the vitamin K–dependent clotting factors (II, VII, IX, and X). Without functional factors, even minor injuries lead to prolonged, uncontrollable bleeding, typically resulting in internal hemorrhages that can be fatal. This mechanism is about impaired coagulation, not nerve disruption, direct liver failure, or dehydration of tissues.