JimL
Well-known member
I drove through the snow this morning to get my INR checked, 1.7, which is unusually low for me.
The cause, I know, is NOT guilt by association. I met with Rich and Tony this past Wednesday for lunch, great guys, we hope for a larger Michigan gathering when the weather warms up in six months or so. Rich mentioned that his INR has been low, but that seems pretty clearly connected to extra activity.
I am wondering about a factor in the testing routine that could affect the INR, specifically the time between the drop of blood forming on my finger and dropping onto the test strip. Do I understand correctly that the blood begins clotting as soon as it is exposed to the air? Do I understand correctly that the test strip measures the time between when the blood hits the strip and it clots? Do I understand correctly that if the blood has started to clot before it hits the strip, the INR will be low?
Blood does not normally gush from my finger, especially after a cold and white-knuckled drive through the snow, and sometimes it takes a while to gather a large enough drop for the test. Today the nurse had a good sized drop formed, and then got up to catch another patient who was lost (the clinic I go to recently moved). Then she came back and applied the drop to the strip; thus it seemed to me that there was a longer than usual delay.
The practical question, of course, is how much should I increase my dosage over the holidays; I normally increase or decrease by less than 10%. I know no one can tell me a number, but perhaps someone like Al knows if a delay between forming the drop of blood and applying it to the strip can affect the INR.
The cause, I know, is NOT guilt by association. I met with Rich and Tony this past Wednesday for lunch, great guys, we hope for a larger Michigan gathering when the weather warms up in six months or so. Rich mentioned that his INR has been low, but that seems pretty clearly connected to extra activity.
I am wondering about a factor in the testing routine that could affect the INR, specifically the time between the drop of blood forming on my finger and dropping onto the test strip. Do I understand correctly that the blood begins clotting as soon as it is exposed to the air? Do I understand correctly that the test strip measures the time between when the blood hits the strip and it clots? Do I understand correctly that if the blood has started to clot before it hits the strip, the INR will be low?
Blood does not normally gush from my finger, especially after a cold and white-knuckled drive through the snow, and sometimes it takes a while to gather a large enough drop for the test. Today the nurse had a good sized drop formed, and then got up to catch another patient who was lost (the clinic I go to recently moved). Then she came back and applied the drop to the strip; thus it seemed to me that there was a longer than usual delay.
The practical question, of course, is how much should I increase my dosage over the holidays; I normally increase or decrease by less than 10%. I know no one can tell me a number, but perhaps someone like Al knows if a delay between forming the drop of blood and applying it to the strip can affect the INR.
