INR monitoringĮveryone taking warfarin will have their INR monitored through regular blood tests either by a venous sample or finger prick test carried out in their GP's surgery or anticoagulation clinic. This message is very important as patients who continue to live with symptoms can find the condition quite debilitating or may even have further severe clotting episodes. The aim is to find an INR target range as low as possible, but for the patient to be relatively symptom-free. However, in a number of patients with APS, the blood is extremely prone to clotting and an INR of 3.0-4.5 is sometimes necessary. If the INR is too low then the dosage is increased if the INR is too high then the dosage is decreased.įor the majority of people who have heart conditions such as atrial fibrillation or who have had a blood clot but do not have APS, an INR of between 2.0-3.0 is usually sufficient and tends to be the norm. The strength of warfarin tablets is clearly marked by the colour and number stamped on them. The dosage of warfarin can vary widely from person to person, some patients only need 4mg a day while others may need 18mg or more therefore, when you first start treatment, the warfarin dose will be adjusted up or down to achieve your target INR. INR rangeĮach patient has a target INR which is set by a consultant according to their condition or disease and medical history. The INR test was developed by the World Health Organisation so that tests would be standard throughout the world, allowing people who have to take life-long warfarin to travel and get comparable blood tests wherever they are. INR is an acronym for the International Normalised Ratio and is a test which measures the length of time it takes your blood to clot compared to normal normal blood has an INR of approximately 1.0. You should seek medical advice if you notice any sign of major bleeding or bruising. The most common side effects of warfarin are bleeding and bruising such as prolonged bleeding from small cuts, nosebleeds, large bruises under the skin, and bleeding gums when brushing your teeth. It is necessary to measure your blood thickness because it must fall within the INR range specified by your doctor: if it is too high, there is a risk of bleeding, but if it is too low there is a danger of clotting. This is not the case with other anticoagulants such as aspirin, heparin and rivaroxaban as they work in a different way. One major drawback of warfarin treatment is that, because of the way it affects your blood clotting process, your blood needs to be regularly monitored. It has been used as a medicine since 1954 and is considered to be a fairly safe and stable drug. Warfarin is a powerful anticoagulant that interferes with your blood clotting process in order to prevent blood clots from forming.

Most APS patients will be on life-long anticoagulation and, for those who have had a serious clotting event, the current treatment usually takes the form of warfarin.

Inr normal range for surgery