THE THROMBOTIC COMPLICATIONS OF TWO GROUPS OF PATIENTS WITH DIFFERENT INR THERAPEUTIC RANGES. THE NECESSITY OF INTENSE ORAL ANTICOAGULANT TREATMENT
One of the reasons why oral anticoagulants fell into disrepute is the absence of internationally acceptable standarised procedures for controlling the level of anticoagulation. This deplorable situation resulted in over and under coagulation and uncertainty in the therapeutic range. The International Normalised Ratio (INR) can safely be applied in patients on oral anticoagulants.We present two Groups of patients under long term anti coagulation, mainly because of prosthetic heart valves that have recently been added to our outpatients clinic. These patients were till then attended by two cardiologists with different attitudes on the intensity of the anticoagulant treatment. The thromboplastin reagent used is that of ox origin and the results are expressed on INR.The Group A with 32 patients had at the time that we started attending them an INR x = 1,80 ± 0,48 and a daily dose of acenocoumarol x = 1,65 ± 0,51.The Group B with 49 patients had an INR x = 2,75 ± 0,51 and a daily dose of acenocoumarol x = 2,52 ± 1,53.Seven patients of the Group A referred thrombotic complications, while three patients of the Group B referred transiant thrombotic complications.The statistical analysis with the t-test of the INR between the two Groups is p<0,001 while that of the thrombotic complication with the x2 is p<0,05.The introduction of the INR and the acceptance by the medical people of the necessity of the intense oral anticoagulant treatment especially on high risk patients with mechanical heart valves as is the majority of the presented patients, will minimize the thromboembolic complications without high risk of bleeding.