Anticoagulation service: improving the referral process.

ABSTRACT: Oral anticoaguIants are extremely common, and it is estimated that there are between 500,000 and 1 million people prescribed them in the UK.[1] These drugs are the most frequently named medication in fatal errors and litigation claims [2] and they require the implementation of additional safety controls.[3] Warfarin is the most commonly prescribed anticoagulant and it requires regular international normalised ratio (INR) monitoring and dosage adjustment to achieve the desired therapeutic range.[4] Under-anticoagulation can cause thrombosis and over-anticoagulation can lead to haemorrhage, both of which can be fatal.[5] At St. Peter's hospital there is an anticoagulation service providing regular international normalised ratio (INR) monitoring for patients on warfarin. However, the current

SUBMITTER: Davies T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4645824 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature