To treat with anticoagulants or to prevent blood from coagulating.
From 'anti-' (against) + 'coagulate' (to clot). Modern medical verb formed in the 20th century as anticoagulant therapy became standard treatment.
When doctors 'anticoagulate' a patient before surgery, they're essentially giving the blood a chemical signal to stay loose and flowing—it's controlled medical disruption of a normally protective process.
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