Jennifer Lockie
Joliet Junior College
According to the American Heart Association, there are, at minimum, 2.7 million Americans currently diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (a-fib). This condition accounts for 15-20% of strokes. As a result, patients are prescribed an anticoagulation therapy to decrease this risk (What is atrial fibrillation, 2016). While warfarin has been the medication of choice for decades, new anticoagulation medications have been approved in recent years that may be more effective with less risk. One of the more recent medications approved is Eliquis (apixaban) (Cassavaugh & Stummer, 2014). Is Eliquis more beneficial for patients with nonvalvular a-fib compared to warfarin? Warfarin …show more content…
The INR is a specific mathematical calculation of the PT or prothrombin time. This test is used to monitor the efficacy of anticoagulation therapy. The therapeutic range for patients taking warfarin is an INR of 2.0 to 3.0 (Malarkey & McMorrow, 2012, p.526). If the patient’s INR is too low, then the medication is not reaching its therapeutic goal. If the INR results are too high, then the patient will be at an increased risk of bleeding. Factors that can modify the effectiveness of warfarin and increase/decrease the PT/INR include medications, alcohol, and foods containing vitamin K (A Patient's Guide to Taking Warfarin, 2014). If patients taking Eliquis experience increased bleeding or need surgery, the doctor may order a PT/INR or anti-factor Xa tests to gauge the patient’s coagulation factors (Guidelines for the Management of Anticoagulant, …show more content…
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