Speedy results for warfarin monitoring

(Inside Aotea, June 2010)

If you’re receiving the anticoagulant warfarin you’ll be aware regular blood tests are required to check whether you’re on the right dose. Rest assured you’re not alone -- it's the second most common type of blood test processed in Haematology,and we process over 300 tests each day!

In this article, Alex Beavis, our haematology team leader, gives tips about improvements in warfarin monitoring and why it’s an important part of your treatment plan.

Let’s start with some good news…

Gone are the days of having to turn up first thing in the morning to get your blood test done, says Alex.

Thanks to improvements in technology, blood tests for warfarin monitoring are now processed much more efficiently.

We send your test results straight to your doctor either by phone, fax or electronic mail, so they can check the results and adjust your dosage if necessary.

We report 95 per cent of results within four hours of your sample being registered in our computer system and we make sure 100 per cent of results are sent through by the time we close the analysers at 8pm.

So now you can avoid the early morning rush and drop into a collection room at a less busy time.

So why is it necessary to monitor warfarin?

The level of warfarin in the blood can be affected by factors such as diet, alcohol and other medications. Sometimes the levels will fluctuate for what seems to be no reason at all.

A blood test checks the correct amount of warfarin is in the blood, and determines if any change to the dosage of warfarin is required.

If warfarin is not monitored, increased levels in the blood may lead to an increased riskof bleeding, and decreased levels may heighten the tendency to clot.

What do I need to do?

Not much! Your doctor will advise on how often you require blood tests.

The blood test is a simple, non-fasting blood test that can be done at any time of the day.

The blood test calculates your International Normalised Ratio (INR) which indicates if the level of warfarin
in the blood is keeping your INR within the acceptable therapeutic range. This result is returned to your doctor, who will decide if your warfarin dosage needs to be altered.