Anticoagulation Monitoring

Abstract

The purpose of our project is to evaluate the difference in INR blood level results accuracy, cost of testing, and improvement in the patient’s quality of life when using portable capillary CoaguChek INR testing compared to standard laboratory method. INR stands for International Normalized Ratio and is a standardized method for reporting blood coagulation with warfarin. When starting warfarin therapy, INR testing should be done 2-3 times per week (typically performed in a lab). Careful monitoring of patients on an anticoagulant therapy is important; under-anticoagulation increases the risk of stroke, while over-anticoagulation increases the risk of hemorrhage. There are two methods of testing the PT/INR values. The first method is portable capillary CoaguChek test. The CoaguChek is a portable device for testing International Normalized Ratio. The second method is laboratory blood draw testing in the Clinic or Hospital. Multiple studies involving over 300 patients on anticoagulation therapy have been performed with similar results. These studies concluded that there was a strong positive liner relationship between the test results, although there was found to be an overestimation of approximately 0.3 INR units with the portable CoaguChek. Traditional Lab INR testing is still considered the gold standard, but the portable CoaguChek monitor is suitable for use in the clinical setting. CoaguChek monitors offer a cost effective, less stressful testing option for patients