Are INR test machines ever accurate?

[Guest]

I told the technologist who is in charge of hematology at our lab about the doctor saying that the bigger sample made a difference. She had this stunned look on her face and said, "A doctor really said that?"

 

[catwoman]

I told the technologist who is in charge of hematology at our lab about the doctor saying that the bigger sample made a difference. She had this stunned look on her face and said, "A doctor really said that?"

Just proves you gotta stay at least one step ahead of any medical professional. Maybe I should say ANY professional.

Several years ago, I came home, found an Aby kitten limping. I rushed her to the vet. X-rays showed nothing. Vet couldn't find anything wrong other than running a slight temp and said, "This is consistent with a bite." No evidence of a wound and I've never had a cat bite another. Told the vet so, but he stuck to his Dx. Vet prescribed antibiotics.
Two days later, kitten wasn't any better. Another DVM at same clinic saw her. This DVM is a cat breeder. Steven immediately diagnosed a soft tissue injury and said inflammation can cause a temp. Gave a shot of an anti-inflammatory drug and kitten was OK w/in 24 hours.

Duh ... the first vet is now .... a lawyer.
Kinda scary, huh?

 

[catwoman]

Should have explained soft tissue injury was from a muscle pull.

Perhaps part of our problems we face as patients is that doctors have blinders on & don't employ any imagination to think outside the box???

 

[Marty]

I have not gone to a central lab in over five years. Last year during my annual physical my internist and I did a "simultaneous" test. I tested with my Coaguchek and then he drew blood to send to the central lab. Very rare but both came out to INR 3.2. Five years ago I did this with the lab at my own clinic. Coaguchek 3.5, lab 1.2. I was getting ready to make some drastic dose changes when the chief lab tech came to my office at the end of the day and said -"disregard her test". why? They found a problem with their controls. I discussed this with Dr. Jack Ansell the anticoagulation guru in Boston. He said when readings vary the central lab has just as much chance of being wrong as the Coaguchek. I do agree however that the Coaguchek can vary more at the the higher readings because of the exponent in the INR formula.

 

[Gail in Ca]

To Catwoman,
My former employer, the vet, said that veterinary law is the next up and coming thing for lawyers. I must say after being around the back where the surgeries and other procedures take place, I am not surprised. After a surgery, a dog is just laid on a towel on the concrete floor near the surgery area, but in the hall where we all must walk to areas of the clinic to do our jobs. They are there until they begin to wake up and then are placed in a cage. It seemed strange to me, as I always thought my doggie was taken care of like a human and not laid out on the floor after surgery!
Cats are luckier, they are placed in a cage after surgical procedure.
Gail

 

[Guest]

The hematology supervisor from our hospital lab just checked 3 of our CoaguChek machines with the main lab machine and the backup main lab machine - we had 5 tests run from 5 different people - 4 on warfarin and one (me) not on warfarin. I don't know the exact numbers but the pathologist signed off that they were in acceptable correlation ranges.

 

[danielgilboa]

I got the coagucheck. I checked it against the lab several times, its OK. Take into consideration the lab also might be off (time from prick to test, calibration etc).
Also, a few tenths up or down make no difference, it fluctuates through the day anyway.

 

[SHerrin Hutt]

I have a protime machine and I have tested them with the primary care protime machine and the lab. it is with in .5 of point of each other. I have no problem with self testing. i still take my machine about ever 6 mo. and run them aide my side to make sure that it is working o.k.

 

[Guest]

I maintain that anyone intelligent enough to use the internet can manage their own warfarin.

 

[Ross]

I maintain that anyone intelligent enough to use the internet can manage their own warfarin.

Oh no, now I have to return my machine?

 

[Guest]

For everything I know about warfarin you probably know two things about computers and the internet.

 

[Ross]

For everything I know about warfarin you probably know two things about computers and the internet.

Oh I don't know. After removing spyware for people for so long, my mind has taken a permanent leave. I'm no longer qualified to do anything but sit and vegetate.