Self-testing of INR may be alternative to attending anticoagulant clinics

摘要

Self-testing of international normalised ratio (INR) may be a safe alternative to laboratory testing for patients taking warfarin, researchers conclude. Dr Hannah Cohen, University College London Hospital, and colleagues are in the middle of conducting a randomised controlled trial in conjunction with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency to fond out whether patients can obtain safe and accurate INR values using CoaguChek S, a hand-held portable meter that gives an IRN reading from a fingerprick blood sample within two minutes.