Characteristics of the abticoagulated patient and factors that may influence INR values in primary care

Abstract

The objectives of this observational descriptive study was to identify patients with INR results out of therapeutic range and to determine possible causes that may influence the lack of control. The location of the study has been primary health care of a rural setting in Tenerife. The study population were 348 patients who correspond to the patients assigned to the oral anticoagulation program from Taraconte Basic Health Zone and who have seven consecutive INR values. As result, we had obtained that mean age was 73.1 years, the 77% had a auricular fibrillation diagnosis, 43.1% consumed alcohol, 79.6% lived with relatives, the 36.1% could not read or write. 76.1% reported no incidences that might have caused being out of range, and 52% had INR values within range in every visit. As a conclusion, we could say that we cannot assure that the variables included in this study explain the INR results. Most of the patients reported no incidents that might explain INR out of range. About half of the patients of this study had INR results within therapeutic range; these are results agree with published data.

Keywords

• Anticoagulants
• primary health care
• medication adherence
• international normalized ratio
• nursing care.