Anticoagulation self-monitoring

Small, hand-held monitoring devices are available that patients undergoing long-term warfarin therapy can use to monitor their prothrombin time (PT) and international normalized ratio (INR). PT and INR can be quickly and accurately measured, using only a drop of capillary blood obtained from a finger stick. Convenient monitoring allows for frequent monitoring, which results in improved client outcomes and fewer of the complications commonly associated with anticoagulation therapy. As the use of this technology increases, nurses will assume an active role in the safe and effective implementation of anticoagulation self-monitoring.