 |
 |
|||
                |
|
|
 Anti-Coagulation (Coumadin) Clinic
Hawthorn Medical's Anti-coagulation Clinic specializes in monitoring patients who are taking warfarin (Coumadin) for the treatment or prevention of blood clots.
Our patients are monitored by specially trained nurses who work closely with a patient's primary care physician. One of the options for warfarin (Coumadin) management is the fingerstick program. Using the ProTime System (fingerstick), our nurses provide an immediate, on the spot reading of a patient's INR (International Normalized Ratio) during a fifteen minute face-to-face visit. (The INR is an accurate and standardized measurement of blood thinness/thickness and its clotting tendency.)
Other patients come in to have a laboratory blood draw. In this case, the nurse calls the patients with the results and monitors the INR via telephone interventions. For patients unable to come in for lab work, the clinic nurses can schedule home blood draws. In all cases, the nurse will adjust the anti-coagulation medication based on the lab results and physician guidelines.
Patient education about anti-coagulation therapy is the mainstay of our program. Every new patient receives an educational packet and is welcome to come in for an individual meeting with the clinic's staff. Education includes information about the medications, drug interactions, diet, any untoward signs of bleeding to look for and most importantly, the need for frequent monitoring. If necessary, the nurse advises and directs patients to their physicians for specific instructions if they have upcoming dental or surgical procedures scheduled
Patients taking anti-coagulation medications may be at risk for bleeding or clotting complications and need careful monitoring. Hawthorn Medical's Anti-coagulation (Coumadin) Clinic is dedicated to ensuring the safety of all our patients on anti-coagulation therapy.
|
|
 |
||||