PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Jacobson, Anne
ED  - Jacobson, Alan K.
TI  - Home Anticoagulation Monitoring is Safe for Patients with Atrial Fibrillation or Mechanical Heart Valves
DP  - 2009 Feb 01
TA  - MD Conference Express
PG  - 20--21
VI  - 8
IP  - 8
4099  - http://mdc.sagepub.com/content/8/8/20.short
4100  - http://mdc.sagepub.com/content/8/8/20.full
AB  - For patients who are chronically taking the blood thinner warfarin, weekly home monitoring of the international normalized ratio (INR) is a safe alternative to monthly clinical monitoring, according to new results of The Home INR Study [THINRS; NCT00032591]. Although more frequent home monitoring did not improve clinical outcomes compared with regular on-site clinic testing, the safety findings support its use, particularly among patients whose disabilities or geographic distance may limit access to a clinical lab for anticoagulation monitoring.