Which term best describes a fixed clot that blocks within a vessel?

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Multiple Choice

Which term best describes a fixed clot that blocks within a vessel?

Explanation:
A fixed clot that blocks a vessel is a thrombus. It forms at the site and adheres to the vessel wall, potentially growing enough to occlude the lumen. An embolus, by contrast, is a clot or other material that has broken loose and travels through the bloodstream to lodge elsewhere, causing obstruction at a distant site. Polycythemia describes an increased red blood cell mass, which can raise blood viscosity and predispose to clotting but is not the clot itself. Virchow’s triad refers to the factors that promote thrombosis—stasis, endothelial injury, and hypercoagulability—not a type of clot. So the term that fits a fixed clot blocking a vessel is thrombus.

A fixed clot that blocks a vessel is a thrombus. It forms at the site and adheres to the vessel wall, potentially growing enough to occlude the lumen. An embolus, by contrast, is a clot or other material that has broken loose and travels through the bloodstream to lodge elsewhere, causing obstruction at a distant site. Polycythemia describes an increased red blood cell mass, which can raise blood viscosity and predispose to clotting but is not the clot itself. Virchow’s triad refers to the factors that promote thrombosis—stasis, endothelial injury, and hypercoagulability—not a type of clot. So the term that fits a fixed clot blocking a vessel is thrombus.

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