If a healthcare provider prescribes
warfarin (
Coumadin®,
Jantoven®) or certain other blood-thinning medications, you will need an international normalized ratio (INR) blood test to make sure your dosage is safe and effective. This test measures how long it takes the blood to clot.
People who are taking a blood-thinning medication want to have an elevated INR to help prevent a blood clot. However, if the INR is too high, it can increase the risk for uncontrollable bleeding.
If you have a high INR, you may be given a prescription for a single dose of vitamin K (Mephyton®). If your healthcare provider feels you are at a high risk for dangerous bleeding, you may need a blood plasma transfusion.
(For more information, click INR. This Web selection provides more details on how the INR test is performed and describes the factors that may affect your value. This article also explains the potentially serious reactions that may occur if your INR is too low.)
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