International Normalized Ratio, a Useful Tool in Oral Anticoagulant Therapy

Abstract

The international normalized ratio (INR) is the primary tool for assessing patients undergoing oral anticoagulant therapy. It was created from the need of standardizing the different types of thromboplastins, regardless of their origin, from which the figures of the true anticoagulation state desired by the physician depend, mainly in patients at risk of thromboembolic events. The objective of this work is to show the simple technique of determining this ratio so that it can be extended to and performed in all health units. It is also defined for which patients the traditional prothrombin time should be used and for which the international normalized ratio.

Keywords

• relación normalizada internacional
• anticoagulantes
• tiempo de protombina