Which statement best describes a distinguishing characteristic of second generation anticoagulants?

Which statement best describes a distinguishing characteristic of second generation anticoagulants?

• A. They require multiple days of feeding
• B. They are less toxic than first generation
• C. A single feeding can cause death
• D. They are non-toxic to late-feeding rodents

Answer: (C)

Second generation anticoagulants are far more potent and longer-lasting than the first generation, so a rodent can be killed from a single feeding. They inhibit vitamin K–dependent clotting factors more effectively, causing lethal internal bleeding after limited exposure. This single-feeding lethality is the key characteristic that distinguishes them from first-generation products, which typically require the rodent to feed on bait for several days to accumulate a lethal dose. The other options don’t fit because these second-generation products are not less toxic, they’re not non-toxic to late feeders in a practical sense, and they don’t require multiple days of feeding like the earlier generations.

Second generation anticoagulants are far more potent and longer-lasting than the first generation, so a rodent can be killed from a single feeding. They inhibit vitamin K–dependent clotting factors more effectively, causing lethal internal bleeding after limited exposure. This single-feeding lethality is the key characteristic that distinguishes them from first-generation products, which typically require the rodent to feed on bait for several days to accumulate a lethal dose. The other options don’t fit because these second-generation products are not less toxic, they’re not non-toxic to late feeders in a practical sense, and they don’t require multiple days of feeding like the earlier generations.