Which medication is a tissue plasminogen activator used for thrombolysis?

• A. Alteplase
• B. Heparin
• C. Dabigatran
• D. Aspirin

Answer: (A)

Alteplase is a tissue plasminogen activator that catalyzes the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin, the enzyme that breaks down fibrin in a clot. By dissolving the fibrin network, it directly achieves thrombolysis, which is why it’s used to rapidly dissolve existing clots in emergencies such as acute ischemic stroke, certain heart attacks, and pulmonary embolism. The other drugs listed work differently: heparin is an anticoagulant that prevents new clot formation but doesn’t dissolve an existing clot; dabigatran directly inhibits thrombin to reduce further coagulation without breaking down the current thrombus; aspirin inhibits platelet aggregation to prevent new clots but does not dissolve clots either.