Fibrinolytics are drugs that do what?

• A. Dissolve a clot
• B. Promote platelet aggregation
• C. Constrict blood vessels
• D. Decrease blood pressure

Answer: (A)

Fibrinolytics dissolve a clot by activating plasmin, which breaks down fibrin—the protein mesh that holds a thrombus together. By degrading this fibrin network, the clot is lysed and blood flow can be restored to the affected vessel, which is critical in acute events like an ischemic stroke or a heart attack. This is why the correct description is that they dissolve a clot. They don’t promote platelet aggregation (that would promote clotting, not dissolve it), they don’t constrict blood vessels (vasoconstriction is a separate mechanism), and their primary aim isn’t to lower blood pressure, though serious bleeding could indirectly affect it as a complication.