BMJ 1996;312:51-52 (6 January)

Letters

Patients and doctors play it safe

EDITOR,--C M Sudlow and colleagues draw attention to the need for the planned provision of facilities to monitor the increasing number of patients to be treated,1 in line with current recommendations.2 We wish to make several suggestions in the light of a recent audit of a cardiac anticoagulation clinic that we undertook recently.

A random sample of 151 patients (83 female) was given a questionnaire, and the current international normalised ratio was noted in addition. The mean (SD) age was 63.7 (10.7) years (range 24-93). Most of the patients (126) had a cardiac diagnosis (valve replacement, valvular disease, etc), while the rest had deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

Strength of warfarin tables--Warfarin tablets are available in three strengths (1, 3, and 5 mg). Only seven patients used the 5 mg tablet. Since only five patients were taking 9 mg or more daily, we suggest that all patients could be . . . [Full text of this article]


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Relevant Article

How To Do It: Service provision and use of anticoagulants in atrial fibrillation
C M Sudlow, H Rodgers, R A Kenny, and R G Thomson
BMJ 1995 311: 558-560. [Extract] [Full Text]

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