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Barriers to patient self-testing of prothrombin time: national survey of anticoagulation practitioners.

Oral anticoagulation with warfarin requires routine monitoring of prothrombin time, expressed as the international normalized ratio (INR). Patient self-testing for INR is common in Europe but not in the United States. In order to determine the frequency of INR self-testing among patients whose anticoagulant therapy is managed in U.S. anticoagulation clinics, to describe the processes that support this self-testing, and to identify the barriers as experienced by anticoagulation clinic providers, a three-part survey was mailed to 538 anticoagulation specialists in the United States. The response rate was 43.7%. Policies and procedures of almost 60% of anticoagulation clinics prohibited INR self-testing for enrolled patients. In addition, less than 1% of patients being managed by U.S. anticoagulation clinics use self-testing to obtain INR results. Primary barriers were the cost of self-testing instruments (78.7% of respondents), cost of reagent cartridges (60.4%), and fear that self-testing might lead to unintended self-management (35.7%). Over 75% of respondents believed that some reimbursement for the cost of self-testing devices and supplies would increase the likelihood that anticoagulation clinics would recommend INR self-testing.

Ambulatory Care Facilities↗

Determination of the mean normal prothrombin time for assessment of international normalized ratios. Usefulness of lyophilized plasma.

To report a Prothrombin Time (PT) as International Normalized Ratio in controlling oral anticoagulant therapy, the Mean Normal PT (MNPT) is required. To correct for methodological differences in performing the PT test, each laboratory should determine its own MNPT for each batch of reagent using fresh blood samples from a large number of normal individuals. This would be a laborious procedure. Two models for simplified assessment of MNPT were investigated by two laboratories in a collaborative study. According to the models, the MNPT of a new batch of reagent is calculated, using the PT of a lyophilized control plasma measured with the new batch and a reference batch, as well as the MNPT of the reference batch obtained with fresh samples. Experimental results were obtained with 19 batches of bovine thromboplastin, 4 lyophilized normal control plasmas and fresh blood samples of 40 normal individuals. The PTs of the 4 lyophilized normal control plasmas were not identical to the MNPT of the fresh normal samples and also different from each other. Therefore, the uncorrected PTs of these control plasmas cannot be used as MNPT. In general, there was good agreement between measured and calculated MNPT, although some control plasmas gave better results than others. There were no significant differences between the results obtained by both calculation models.

Freeze Drying↗

Reliability of the international normalized ratio for monitoring the induction phase of warfarin: comparison with the prothrombin time ratio.

The International Normalized Ratio (INR) was introduced to reduce the variability of prothrombin time (PT) reporting. One potential problem with the use of the INR is the assumption that its reliability is reduced when it is used to monitor patients during the induction phase of treatment. This shortcoming arises because the model used to establish the INR system is based on the use of pooled plasma from patients stabilized on warfarin for at least 6 weeks. Because the prolongation of the PT by warfarin during the induction phase mainly reflects reduction in factor VII levels (whereas the prolongation of the PT after 6 weeks of stabilization reflects reductions in factors X, II, and VII), there exists a potential for loss of accuracy of the INR during warfarin induction. To overcome this potential problem, it has been suggested that the PT ratio should be used to report results during the induction phase of treatment and that the INR system should be reserved for reporting results after the patient has been stabilized. This approach is confusing to the clinician. In addition, the validity of this approach has never been demonstrated in a clinical study. To address this issue, we studied 43 patients for the first 5 days after they started warfarin therapy. We measured the PT in the same plasma samples from each patient with five different commercial thromboplastins. The variance in the PT ratios among the five thromboplastins was compared with the variance obtained with the INR values derived from the PT ratios when using the international sensitivity indexes provided by the manufacturer. Our results indicate that, even during the induction phase, there is less variance with the INR system than with the PT ratio system.

Anticoagulants↗

[A discussion of standardization for prothrombin time in patients with advanced liver diseases].

OBJECTIVE: To determine which expression mode of prothrombin time (PT) might achieve PT standardization in patients with advanced liver diseases. METHODS: PT was measured with six thromboplastins with different ISI values in 16 severe chronic hepatitis patients, 50 decompensated liver cirrhosis patients and 30 patients on oral anticoagulation therapy. The results were expressed in PT (second), PTA (%), PTR and INR. RESULTS: In chronic hepatitis patients, the means of the six group's PTAs ranged from 24% to 34%, while their upper limits ranged from 47% to 61%. The means of the INRs ranged from 2.55 to 5.13, while their upper limits ranged from 4.65 to 12.77. Through one-way ANOVA of repeated measures, PPTA (0.489) was > PINR (0.120). In patients with liver cirrhosis, the means of the PTA in six groups ranged from 50% to 59%, while their upper limits ranged from 82% to 90%. The means of the INR ranged from 1.40 to 1.80, while their upper limits ranged from 1.97 to 3.69. Through one-way ANOVA of repeated measures, PPTA (0.102) was > PINR (0.01). In patients on oral coagulation therapy, the means of PTA ranged from 26% to 37%, while their upper limits ranged from 39% to 49%. The means of INR ranged from 2.35 to 2.66, while their upper limits ranged from 3.16 to 4.26. Through one-way ANOVA of repeated measures, PPTA (0.01) was less than PINR (0.102). The correlation between the results detected by Neoplastine and by other reagents were analyzed. They correlated well with each other when PTA was used as the expression mode of PT in patients with advanced liver disease. But in patients on oral anticoagulation therapy, when only the INR was used as the expression mode of PT, the correlation was well with each other. CONCLUSION: The use of INR provides inadequate standardization. Only when the PT is expressed in PTA, then it may provide a standardization mode in patients with advanced liver diseases.

Female↗

Differences in the clinically effective molar concentrations of four direct thrombin inhibitors explain their variable prothrombin time prolongation.

Four direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs), lepirudin, bivalirudin, argatroban, and melagatran, differ in their ability to prolong the prothrombin time (PT). Paradoxically, the DTI in clinical use with the lowest affinity for thrombin (argatroban) causes the greatest PT prolongation. We compared the effects of these DTIs on various clotting assays and on inhibition of human and bovine factor Xa (FXa). On a mole-for-mole basis, lepirudin was most able to prolong the PT, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and thrombin clotting time (TCT), whereas argatroban had the least effect. At concentrations that doubled the APTT (argatroban, 1 micromol/l; melagatran, 0.5 micromol/l; bivalirudin, 0.25 micromol/l; lepirudin, 0.06 micromol/l), the rank order for PT prolongation was: argatroban > melagatran > bivalirudin > lepirudin. Although the Ki's associated with inhibition of human FXa by melagatran (1.4 micromol/l) and argatroban (3.2 micromol/l) approach their therapeutic concentrations, inhibition of FXa did not appear to be a major contributor to PT prolongation, since argatroban also prolonged the PT of bovine plasma (despite a Ki for bovine FXa of 2,600 micromol/l). Only melagatran inhibited prothrombinase-bound FXa. We conclude that the differing effects of the DTIs on PT prolongation are primarily driven by their respective molar plasma concentrations required for clinical effect. DTIs with a relatively low affinity for thrombin require high plasma concentrations to double the APTT; these higher plasma concentrations, in turn, quench more of the thrombin generated in the PT, thereby more greatly prolonging the PT.

Animals↗

Revised standardization method of the one-stage prothrombin time.

The revised ratio method which is recommended for standardization of the one-stage prothrombin time, presumes that identical regression lines exist between clotting times of abnormal and normal plasma. A modification is proposed which corrects for possible deviation of the mean clotting time of normal plasma from the regression line between clotting times of abnormal plasma. The modified revised ration method is theoretically preferable and does not need the restrictions in calibration which are recommended for the revised ratio method.

Humans↗

Comparison of prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time on Dade Auto-FI and Bio-Quest Fibrometer.

Plasma assay results for prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time obtained on the fully automated Dade Auto-FI were compared with those obtained on the more traditional semi-automated Bio-Quest Fibrometer. The precision data showed in a majority of cases the superior reproducibility of the Auto-FI over the fibrometer. However, we found that results of APTT utilizing both methodologies were not at present interchangeable.

Blood Coagulation Tests↗

Assessment of patient capability to self-adjust oral anticoagulant dose: a multicenter study on home use of portable prothrombin time monitor (COAGUCHECK).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Self-testing and self-monitoring with portable prothrombin time (PT) monitors has been shown to be feasible and safe. However the ability of patients on chronic oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) to self-adjust their dose without specific training has never been properly evaluated. The aims of this study were to evaluate: 1) the ability of patients on chronic OAT to self-adjust their dose without specific training; 2) the integration of a portable PT monitor (Coagucheck, Roche Diagnostics, Germany) for home use into routine patient care in anticoagulation clinics. DESIGN AND METHODS: A nested case-control study was conducted in four centers of the Italian Federation of Anticoagulation Clinics (FCSA). Patients (n=78) on stable OAT for at least 6 months (cases: 47 men, 31 women, age range: 18-75 years) were enrolled on a volunteer basis after passing an Abbreviated Mental Test and providing informed consent. After three instruction sessions on the use of Coaguchek, subjects performed the PT test at home, communicated the INR results to the Center and suggested the dose adjustment and date for next control as they thought appropriate. However, they were requested to follow the prescription made by the Center. Controls (78 subjects) matched by age (+/- 5 years), sex and therapeutic range with the cases, were selected from among those who attended the anticoagulation clinics and managed by usual care. RESULTS: When compared with the dose prescribed by the Clinic, the dose suggested by warfarin and acenocoumarol users was equal to or within +/- 6% of the mean weekly dose in 80% and 82% of suggestions, respectively. Time spent in the therapeutic range during the study was the same (80%) for cases and controls. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: Selected patients on chronic anticoagulant therapy can acquire a satisfactory ability for self-adjustment of OAT dose without specific training.

Acenocoumarol↗

Special report: a simple system for the derivation of International Normalized Ratios for the reporting of prothrombin time results with North American thromboplastin reagents.

The World Health Organization international scale of reporting prothrombin time results is based on the calibration of thromboplastins against an international reference preparation to derive an International Sensitivity Index (ISI). Once the ISI has been assigned to an individual thromboplastin reagent, the derivation of International Normalised Ratios (INRs) for reporting results depends on mathematic formulae requiring a special calculator or mathematic tables. This causes difficulties and errors. A simplified system for interpretation of INRs with the range of thromboplastins widely used in North America is therefore presented, which obviates the need for mathematic procedures for the derivation of INR equivalents. It should thus facilitate the application of the INR system and of safer therapeutic ranges.

Calibration↗

Automation and prothrombin time: a United Kingdom field study of two widely used coagulometers.

Current performance in the prothrombin time (PT) of the two main United Kingdom coagulometer/thromboplastin systems was assessed in a field survey. Twenty abnormal samples covering a wide spectrum of International Normalised Ratio (INR) were distributed to users of the KC4/KC10 and Coag-a-Mate instruments. Coagulometer results were compared with those of the manual method. A substantial minority with each system showed good agreement with the manual reference values. There was, however, a considerable variation between instruments, meaningful in clinical terms, evidenced by varying regression slopes and local system International Sensitivity Indices (ISI). For intense anticoagulation (3.0 to 4.5 INR) a larger dose of warfarin is needed with the Coag-a-Mate than with the KC instruments. With a manual INR of 4.0 the KC instruments tended to give longer PT (mean INR + 0.3); the Coag-a-Mate PT was generally shorter (mean INR -0.1). With both systems the mean normal PT were shorter than the manual but the degree of shortening did not parallel that of the abnormal samples. This effect undermines the use of a simple prothrombin ratio and of an INR value derived from it, based on a manual ISI. The use of a system related ISI cannot, however, be recommended until local instrument variables are controlled.

Blood Coagulation Tests↗

Home prothrombin time monitoring: a literature analysis.

The anticoagulant activity of warfarin sodium is monitored by the prothrombin time (PT) using the international normalized ratio (INR). Standard oral anticoagulant therapy monitoring requires frequent patient visits to physicians' offices and/or laboratories to optimize warfarin dosage. Home PT monitoring by patients can increase testing frequency and may thus decrease complications associated with oral anticoagulant therapy. Clinical studies suggest that home PT monitoring is more effective than uncoordinated management and is as effective as care through specialized anticoagulation clinics for keeping INRs within a therapeutic range. There are accurate and reliable instruments available, but paramount to the success of home PT monitoring is sound patient selection, appropriate patient training, and consistent quality control.

Anticoagulants↗

Vitamin K status of preterm infants with a prolonged prothrombin time.

AIM: To investigate the vitamin K status of preterm infants who have a prolonged prothrombin time (PT) in the first month of life. METHODS: Measures of vitamin K status were assessed in 21 preterm infants who were found to have an abnormal PT, despite 0.2-0.5 mg vitamin K(1) prophylaxis at birth. RESULTS: All infants had normal or supraphysiological vitamin K(1) concentrations and undetectable or, in one infant, insignificant PIVKA-II, indicating adequate vitamin K status. CONCLUSION: In preterm infants born at <32 wk gestation who received > or = 0.2 mg vitamin K(1) after delivery, a prolonged PT in the first month of life is unlikely to be due to vitamin K deficiency.

Biomarkers↗