S
Sierra Bob
I recently joined the QAS ProTime Patient Monitoring Program whereby QAS loans the ProTime Microcoagulation instrument and Medicare pays for the Cuvettes and Tenderlet devices for testing on a weekly basis for patients with mechanical heart valves.
I have been checking my INR on a weekly basis for the past three years utilizing the QAS five channel Instrument and Cuvette. The instrument that QAS loans is the three channel instrument. I have immediately compared the results using my five channel instrument versus the three channel instrument. The three channel instrument and Cuvette results in an INR of 0.3 to 0.4 (12.0 to 17.4%) lower than the five channel. This has caused me to increase my warfarin intake to raise my INR to where my cardiologist wants it (3.5) rather than what appears to be the norm (2.5). However, after reading the article that Ross gave reference to, "Warfarin Theraphy: Evolving Strategies in Anticoagulation", and following Al's postings, I'm being to wonder about being between 3.0 and 4.0 rather than 2.0 and 3.0 with an aortic mechanical valve.
Also, my cardiologist just recently prescribed I take Foltx to also prevent clotting because my Homocysteine level is over 9.0.
Questions:
Has anyone else in this 860 membership list compared the
three channel to five channel system and if so, what were
your results?
Has anyone else also been prescribed Foltx (or VasoHeal)
because of a high Homocysteine level?
Thanks in advance. Sierra Bob
I have been checking my INR on a weekly basis for the past three years utilizing the QAS five channel Instrument and Cuvette. The instrument that QAS loans is the three channel instrument. I have immediately compared the results using my five channel instrument versus the three channel instrument. The three channel instrument and Cuvette results in an INR of 0.3 to 0.4 (12.0 to 17.4%) lower than the five channel. This has caused me to increase my warfarin intake to raise my INR to where my cardiologist wants it (3.5) rather than what appears to be the norm (2.5). However, after reading the article that Ross gave reference to, "Warfarin Theraphy: Evolving Strategies in Anticoagulation", and following Al's postings, I'm being to wonder about being between 3.0 and 4.0 rather than 2.0 and 3.0 with an aortic mechanical valve.
Also, my cardiologist just recently prescribed I take Foltx to also prevent clotting because my Homocysteine level is over 9.0.
Questions:
Has anyone else in this 860 membership list compared the
three channel to five channel system and if so, what were
your results?
Has anyone else also been prescribed Foltx (or VasoHeal)
because of a high Homocysteine level?
Thanks in advance. Sierra Bob
