Natanni
Well-known member
Jeff mentioned some variablility between the Coagucheck and lab draws...would like to throw out another case 
Nathan brings his INRatio to the coumadin clinic and tests at the same time; The clinic uses the Protime 3 (I believe it is '3') and there are a few differences that he has noted in obtaining the blood sample; They squeeze the finger many times, form a large drop, wipe it away and obtain a 2nd drop and use this one for the Protimes sample. With Nathan's INRAtio, he was instructed to use the very first sample of blood. If he loses it, needs to start all over with a fresh lancette. The clinic argues that he may get a smidge of alcohol in this first sample, even though he wipes the alcohol off and waits a second or two for drying. When at the clinic, Nathan always uses a fresh lancette for his INRatio sample. Friday's results were the clinics Protime 3 -- 2.8, Nathan's INRatio---2.0, Lab draw (because of nervousness of the coumadin clinic now) --2.4; The clinic decided to bump up his warfarin, as on his INRatio he has been consistantly under 2.5; The coumadin clinic had left his dosage because they had him hovering around 2.8. Sound like the right thing to do to you guys? They were discussing the self testing the INRatio does every time, and that it is different with the Protime 3. We are not familiar with that product, could that account for some of this variability?
Nathan brings his INRatio to the coumadin clinic and tests at the same time; The clinic uses the Protime 3 (I believe it is '3') and there are a few differences that he has noted in obtaining the blood sample; They squeeze the finger many times, form a large drop, wipe it away and obtain a 2nd drop and use this one for the Protimes sample. With Nathan's INRAtio, he was instructed to use the very first sample of blood. If he loses it, needs to start all over with a fresh lancette. The clinic argues that he may get a smidge of alcohol in this first sample, even though he wipes the alcohol off and waits a second or two for drying. When at the clinic, Nathan always uses a fresh lancette for his INRatio sample. Friday's results were the clinics Protime 3 -- 2.8, Nathan's INRatio---2.0, Lab draw (because of nervousness of the coumadin clinic now) --2.4; The clinic decided to bump up his warfarin, as on his INRatio he has been consistantly under 2.5; The coumadin clinic had left his dosage because they had him hovering around 2.8. Sound like the right thing to do to you guys? They were discussing the self testing the INRatio does every time, and that it is different with the Protime 3. We are not familiar with that product, could that account for some of this variability?
