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Do Elevated PT And INR Values Require Immediate Attention?
I am on warfarin because I had a blood clot to go to my lung. This sometime around fall or winter 2016. I ended up in hospital in ICU once and then CCU once. I was in there for 23 days. Then I went to Rehab for 4 weeks. This said, I have a question. My husband takes warfarin also, so we have the machine at home to test out P.T and Inr. We call it in and then they call our primary Dr..who calls us. We did this on Thursday...my numbers were way off 4.0 and 48.0. Should I do something now or wait for my doctor to call?
posted on
Wed, 31 Jan 2018
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Sun, 8 Apr 2018
Answered on
Sat, 21 Apr 2018
Last reviewed on
Hello,
Yes, elevated PT/INR values require immediate attention.
1. Prothrombin time (PT) is a blood test that measures the time it takes for the liquid portion (plasma) of your blood to clot. Normally, it is 11 to 13.5 seconds.
2. The International Normalized Ratio (INR) is calculated from a PT results. INR of 1.1 or below is considered normal.
These two tests are used to monitor how well the blood-thinning medicine (anticoagulant) Warfarin is working to prevent blood clots.
An INR range of 2.0 to 3.0 is generally an effective therapeutic range for people taking Warfarin for disorders such as atrial fibrillation or a blood clot in the leg or lung.
When the PT and INR are elevated, it means that your blood clots more slowly than desired and there is an increased risk of bleeding.
So, you need to consult your treating doctor, adjust the dose of 'blood thinner' so as to keep these tests within their normal range.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Mohammed Taher Ali
Yes, elevated PT/INR values require immediate attention.
1. Prothrombin time (PT) is a blood test that measures the time it takes for the liquid portion (plasma) of your blood to clot. Normally, it is 11 to 13.5 seconds.
2. The International Normalized Ratio (INR) is calculated from a PT results. INR of 1.1 or below is considered normal.
These two tests are used to monitor how well the blood-thinning medicine (anticoagulant) Warfarin is working to prevent blood clots.
An INR range of 2.0 to 3.0 is generally an effective therapeutic range for people taking Warfarin for disorders such as atrial fibrillation or a blood clot in the leg or lung.
When the PT and INR are elevated, it means that your blood clots more slowly than desired and there is an increased risk of bleeding.
So, you need to consult your treating doctor, adjust the dose of 'blood thinner' so as to keep these tests within their normal range.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Mohammed Taher Ali
I find this answer helpful
Hello,
Increased risk of bleeding! Requires immediate attention.
These two tests are routinely done to monitor the efficacy of the blood-thinning medicine (anticoagulant) Warfarin to prevent blood clots.
A normal PT of 11 to 13.5 seconds and INR range of 2.0 to 3.0 are generally the optimally effective therapeutic range for people taking Warfarin for disorders such as atrial fibrillation or a blood clot in the leg or lung.
Elevated PT and INR indicate that your blood clots more slowly then anticipated and hence there is a substantial risk of bleeding.
So, you need to consult your treating doctor to adjust the dose of 'blood thinner' so as to keep these tests within their normal range.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Mohammed Taher Ali
Increased risk of bleeding! Requires immediate attention.
These two tests are routinely done to monitor the efficacy of the blood-thinning medicine (anticoagulant) Warfarin to prevent blood clots.
A normal PT of 11 to 13.5 seconds and INR range of 2.0 to 3.0 are generally the optimally effective therapeutic range for people taking Warfarin for disorders such as atrial fibrillation or a blood clot in the leg or lung.
Elevated PT and INR indicate that your blood clots more slowly then anticipated and hence there is a substantial risk of bleeding.
So, you need to consult your treating doctor to adjust the dose of 'blood thinner' so as to keep these tests within their normal range.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Mohammed Taher Ali
I find this answer helpful
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