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Why Is An INR Blood Test Done?
Yes, thank you. My wife is on a warfarin regimen and regularly has her blood tested to find the INR. We understand why she is on this, what it does, and potential hazards, but have no idea what INR stands for nor what the measurement range means. Can you explain? Thanks.
Thu, 10 Nov 2016
Hi & Welcome.
The INR is an International Normalized Ratio for the PT (Prothrombin time).
It is the ratio of Prothrombin time of the patient & the normal standard Prothrombin time or control.
It is used to monitor the therapeutic effects of "blood thinner" Warfarin.
In healthy people an INR of 1.1 or below is considered normal.
An INR in the range of 2-3 times is considered to be optimum to have the anticoagulant ("blood thinning" action) of Warfarin.
The goal of Warfarin therapy is to maintain a balance between preventing clots and causing excessive bleeding.
This balance requires careful monitoring. The INR can be used to adjust a person's drug dosage to get the maximum therapeutic effect with less toxicity of bleeding.
When the INR is higher than the recommended range, it means that your blood clots more slowly than desired. This may be caused by conditions such as liver disease, vitamin K deficiency, or a coagulation factor deficiency.
A low INR means your anticoagulation dose is too low and your blood is clotting too quickly.
Hope the explanation given above would have enabled you to understand the significance of doing INR while taking Warfarin.
Best regards/
The INR is an International Normalized Ratio for the PT (Prothrombin time).
It is the ratio of Prothrombin time of the patient & the normal standard Prothrombin time or control.
It is used to monitor the therapeutic effects of "blood thinner" Warfarin.
In healthy people an INR of 1.1 or below is considered normal.
An INR in the range of 2-3 times is considered to be optimum to have the anticoagulant ("blood thinning" action) of Warfarin.
The goal of Warfarin therapy is to maintain a balance between preventing clots and causing excessive bleeding.
This balance requires careful monitoring. The INR can be used to adjust a person's drug dosage to get the maximum therapeutic effect with less toxicity of bleeding.
When the INR is higher than the recommended range, it means that your blood clots more slowly than desired. This may be caused by conditions such as liver disease, vitamin K deficiency, or a coagulation factor deficiency.
A low INR means your anticoagulation dose is too low and your blood is clotting too quickly.
Hope the explanation given above would have enabled you to understand the significance of doing INR while taking Warfarin.
Best regards/
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