A patient receiving heparin has a prothrombin time (PT) of 19 sec and an International Standard-ized Ratio (INR) of approximately 5.0, what does this indicate?
a. High likelihood of excessive bleeding.
b. Patient's results are normal.
c. High likelihood of increased clotting.
d. Possible embolism.
ANS: A
Prothrombin time (PT) is defined as the time in seconds required by plasma to form a fibrin clot following exposure to tissue factors. Clinically, abnormal increases in PT and PTT are found in patients with vitamin K deficiencies, and patients on anticoagulation therapy such as warfarin or heparin. PT is accompanied by an additional measurement known as the International Standard-ized Ratio (INR). The INR expresses PT relative to an established sample value. A normal INR value is 0.9 to 1.3. INR values of approximately 5.0 indicate a high likelihood for bleeding. Val-ues of 0.5 are associated with a tendency toward increased clotting.
You might also like to view...
Which of the following is NOT a phase of an emergency call?
A) Dispatch B) Debriefing C) Transferring patients D) Arrival at the scene
During a small-scale incident, the incident commander:
A) will likely not respond to the scene. B) may perform all the command functions. C) primarily assumes the role of safety officer. D) delegates all authority to the senior paramedic