Aa
heart disease
In the case of occasional atrial fibrillation, would the use of blood thinners be necessary for a patient with historically low platelet count?
I realise than "thinner" etc isn't the technical term, but everyone relates to it and knows what it means :)
That would depend on blood tests. When on blood thinners, such as warfarin, you should have regular tests for your INR number (International Normalized Ratio).
Basically your test sample is tested for clotting times against normal blood. So, a ratio of 1 to about 1.5 would be normal. If you are 2.0 then you are taking twice as long to clot as normal blood, meaning your blood is thinner. 3.0 means three times as long etc etc.
The technical term for interest is the prothrombin time (PT).
I believe the correct INR for A-Fib is 2.0 - 3.0
Basically your test sample is tested for clotting times against normal blood. So, a ratio of 1 to about 1.5 would be normal. If you are 2.0 then you are taking twice as long to clot as normal blood, meaning your blood is thinner. 3.0 means three times as long etc etc.
The technical term for interest is the prothrombin time (PT).
I believe the correct INR for A-Fib is 2.0 - 3.0
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Heart Disease Community
Is a low-fat diet really that heart healthy after all? James D. Nicolantonio, PharmD, urges us to reconsider decades-long dietary guidelines.
Can depression and anxiety cause heart disease? Get the facts in this Missouri Medicine report.
Fish oil, folic acid, vitamin C. Find out if these supplements are heart-healthy or overhyped.
Learn what happens before, during and after a heart attack occurs.
What are the pros and cons of taking fish oil for heart health? Find out in this article from Missouri Medicine.
How to lower your heart attack risk.
