Coumadin level

[alicia]

Had my first Coumadin check today and good news, it was 2.5
which is exactly what the cardiac surgeon wanted. I must ne doing something right!!! Yeah!!! Got to go every week and have it checked and then will go to once a month. Luckily, my local cardiologist office just got the machine that pricks your finger and gives an immediate result. My days are getting better and better!!

 

[ALCapshaw]

Hello Alicia,

You may want to ask your cardiologist to have the lab do an arm draw to correlate with their machine. I switched labs because the first lab used a Coaguchek machine that was consistently 0.5 to 0.8 units higher than my Protime (home tester) with a couple of really high readings. The second lab uses an EARLY model CoaguChek machine that correlate perfectly with two arm draws and is slightly Lower than my home test unit. This suggests that the first lab readings were reading high by *at least* 1.0 unit ! I don't know if the problem is with the instrument or the calibration by the lab.

'AL'

 

[alicia]

Good advise Al, this is all new to me. Any suggestions are welcomed.

 

[terry40]

alicia

alicia

that's great, I'm still working on getting my PT INR in therapeutic range for 2 weeks in a row, I get it tested weekly, via the arm vein, at the lab, that's on my way home from rehab.

Good luck with keeping yours regulated.

Terry40

 

[richie rich]

Al,

I have a quesdtion for you. My INR has been 1.6 for 3 weeks in a row. My crdio's office says this is great. Very consitent. I say it is too low. What are the drawbacks to having a high INR or a low INR. My surgeon says if all goes well I will be off of coumding by Feb. 15th.

Thanks
Rich