Audit of patients on oral anticoagulants with International normalized ratios of eight or above. Murphy, P. T., Casey, M. C., & Abrams, K. R. Clinical and Laboratory Haematology, 20(4):253–257, August, 1998.
abstract   bibtex   
We reviewed retrospectively the medical records of all patients (n = 77, mean age 74.2) on oral anticoagulants with an International normalized ratio (INR) of eight or above in a 12-month period in the Leicestershire District Health Authority (DHA). From a total of 55,625 INRs, 131 (0.24%) were \textgreater or = 8. A major cause of over-anticoagulation was unsatisfactory dose loading during in-hospital commencement of oral anticoagulation. The incidence of major bleeding was 12.9% of total episodes of INR \textgreater or = 8 with two haemorrhage-related fatalities. Therapy of major haemorrhage with fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and intravenous (i.v) vitamin K proved effective but was not given in a majority of such cases. In conclusion, improvements in initial dose loading of oral anticoagulation and in the management of major haemorrhage are required. Severely over-anticoagulated patients without obvious bleeding should nevertheless receive small dose vitamin K therapy to reduce the risk of haemorrhage related morbidity and mortality without compromising subsequent oral anti-coagulant control.
@article{murphy_audit_1998-1,
	title = {Audit of patients on oral anticoagulants with {International} normalized ratios of eight or above},
	volume = {20},
	issn = {0141-9854},
	abstract = {We reviewed retrospectively the medical records of all patients (n = 77, mean age 74.2) on oral anticoagulants with an International normalized ratio (INR) of eight or above in a 12-month period in the Leicestershire District Health Authority (DHA). From a total of 55,625 INRs, 131 (0.24\%) were {\textbackslash}textgreater or = 8. A major cause of over-anticoagulation was unsatisfactory dose loading during in-hospital commencement of oral anticoagulation. The incidence of major bleeding was 12.9\% of total episodes of INR {\textbackslash}textgreater or = 8 with two haemorrhage-related fatalities. Therapy of major haemorrhage with fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and intravenous (i.v) vitamin K proved effective but was not given in a majority of such cases. In conclusion, improvements in initial dose loading of oral anticoagulation and in the management of major haemorrhage are required. Severely over-anticoagulated patients without obvious bleeding should nevertheless receive small dose vitamin K therapy to reduce the risk of haemorrhage related morbidity and mortality without compromising subsequent oral anti-coagulant control.},
	language = {eng},
	number = {4},
	journal = {Clinical and Laboratory Haematology},
	author = {Murphy, P. T. and Casey, M. C. and Abrams, K. R.},
	month = aug,
	year = {1998},
	pmid = {9777273},
	keywords = {80 and over, Adult, Aged, Anticoagulants, Cardiovascular Diseases, Drug Interactions, Female, Heart Failure, Hemorrhage, Humans, International Normalized Ratio, Male, Medical Audit, Middle Aged, Retrospective Studies, Thrombosis, United Kingdom},
	pages = {253--257},
}

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