PT/INR Results

[Rebecca Havel]

I was wondering when those of you on coumadin go get bloodwork, How quick do you get a call back from the doctors office?
I usually go to the hospital to get bloodwork done and wait for the doctors office to call me with my results and instruct me on wheather I need to increase my coumadin level or decrease it. For the past two years I have been seeing my family doctor for this and visit my cardioligst once a year for an echo. I'm just debating to go back to the cardioligst to get my PT/INR, because there are times when I don't get a call back that same day from the family doctors and reading some of the threads I don't want to have anything happen to me (stroke, clotting, etc.,)Would like your feedback...Thanks for listening~~Becky

 

[Yaps]

I get my

I get my

results right then, yesterday I was at 2.3, so we increased dosage a bit. I go to cardio weekly. Ive heard of some going to a hospital lab, and they have the same problem. Kind of leaves you in the dark sometimes, I dont think I would be comfortable with that. Love the pup

 

[JimL]

I go to a coumadin clinic, receive a finger stick, and a minute or so later I know my INR. I then decide what my dosage will be, and there coumadin nurse is very helpful in setting that number.
During the first few weeks after surgery, the surgeon's office managed my coumadin, and it was very frustrating waiting for them to remember to call. When I do have to go to the hospital lab for a veinous draw, I can wait around an hour and get a printout of the results which lists my INR, from which I can make my own adjustments. I suppose not everyone is comfortable doing it that way.

 

[Ross]

You need to know the results the SAME DAY, not whenever they feel like telling you. I would certainly look for another clinic and insist upon knowing before I leave. By doing so, your guaranteeing yourself that the test was done promptly and the results should be believable.

 

[hensylee]

I take my bro to local hospital lab. We have a very small local hospital and that's the only place we can go around here. They take blood from his arm. HIs results are faxed same day to his local dr, his cardio and his assisted living nurse. His cardio used to call me with results and any changes, just to keep me informed, but we changed cardios and the new one doesn't call me anymore. If you don't hear from them, why not call them yourself.

 

[Barry]

If I go in the morning I get a call with the results that evening. If I go in the afternoon, I get the results the next day. Artifact of rural living - I go to a satellite clinic, which sends its samples in to town for testing.

 

[Scarlett]

I go to the local hospital (8:30am)and have mine drawn. The doctor's office normally calls me around 4:30 to give me my results. If I don't hear from them by 4:45 I call them....they get upset because "had they had the results they would call me-that they probably won't know anything until tomorrow"!! Monday my reading was 4.45. Last month it was 3.45. They didn't change my meds at that time and said come back in one month. This time they had me change my meds (from 2.5 every day but Thurs. 5.0) to 2.5 everyday and return next Monday.
What range should we be in? I have a mechancial mitral valve. I have never been right. I take Warfarin and Digoxin.

 

[catwoman]

I go to the local hospital (8:30am)and have mine drawn. The doctor's office normally calls me around 4:30 to give me my results. If I don't hear from them by 4:45 I call them....they get upset because "had they had the results they would call me-that they probably won't know anything until tomorrow"!! Monday my reading was 4.45. Last month it was 3.45. They didn't change my meds at that time and said come back in one month. This time they had me change my meds (from 2.5 every day but Thurs. 5.0) to 2.5 everyday and return next Monday.
What range should we be in? I have a mechancial mitral valve. I have never been right. I take Warfarin and Digoxin.

Scarlett:
It should be 2.5-3.5 for a mitral valve. Some folks with mechanical mitrals shoot for 3.0-4.0, which is OK, too. I try to keep mine on the higher side, too.

My PCP's office has a CoaguChek, so you know your INR within a minute or 2. That's the ideal, instead of having to wait for a medical office to call you back.

Some of us here have our own PT/INR home test machines and adjust our warfarin ourselves. My PCP wrote out new scrips for my warfarin -- 1, 2 and 10 mg so I can juggle my dosage around as needed. Summer's coming -- I'll have to take more rat poison soon because of swimming, hiking, water-skiing, etc.!

 

[Guest]

Scarlett,
Please look at my website www.warfarinfo.com

Also look at www.acforum.org and click on clinic locations to see what is available in your area.

 

[Georgia]

My pcp engineers my warfarin. I go to the hospital for venous draw; call his office as soon as I get home and leave his nurse a message that I had the test. She looks for the fax and gets back to me within a couple of hours.

Given how many faxes these people receive, this seems to work really well and I've never had any complaint about the system. Perhaps being a little more pushy would get things moving better for you, too.

 

[terryj]

My husband goes to his PCP once a month. He stops on his way home from work at 4:00 and the lab draws his blood. If it is out of range I get a call the next morning. If it is okay I usually get a call by the end of the day. If not they know I will call. They also have written permisson from us to leave the results on my answering machine at work or our answering machine. This didn't all happen quickly. We were going to change doctors because they were handling his coumadin management so poorly but since this office had found his heart problem and sent us to a great cardio who in return sent us to a great surgeon we hated to do that. So instead we sat down and talked to the doctor and lab nurse and worked out this plan. It works for us.