A client being treated with sodium warfarin has a Protime of 120 seconds. Which intervention would be most important to include in the nursing care plan?
A. Assess for signs of abnormal bleeding
B. Anticipate an increase in the Coumadin dosage
C. Instruct the client regarding the drug therapy
D. Increase the frequency of neurological assessments
Correct Answer: A. Assess for signs of abnormal bleeding
The normal Protime is 12–20 seconds. A Protime of 120 seconds indicates an extremely prolonged Protime and can result in a spontaneous bleeding episode. Patients receiving treatment with warfarin should have close monitoring to ensure the safety and efficacy of the medication. Periodic blood testing is the recommendation to assess the patient’s prothrombin time (PT) and the international normalized ratio (INR).
Option B: The laboratory parameter utilized to monitor warfarin therapy is the PT/INR. The PT is the number of seconds it takes the blood to clot, and the INR allows for the standardization of the PT measurement depending on the thromboplastin reagent used by a laboratory. Therefore, monitoring a patient’s INR while on warfarin is strongly preferable over PT because it allows for a standardized measurement without variations due to different laboratory sites.
Option C: When managing warfarin toxicity, the initial step would be to discontinue warfarin and then administer vitamin K (phytonadione). The vitamin K may administration can be either via the oral, intravenous, or subcutaneous route. However, the initial administration of oral vitamin K is often preferable in patients without major bleeding or extremely elevated INR.
Option D: Patients also require close monitoring for signs and symptoms of active bleeding throughout their treatment. Close monitoring for signs and symptoms of bleeding, such as dark tarry stools, nosebleeds, and hematomas, is necessary. The patient’s hemoglobin and hematocrit level should undergo an assessment before initiating warfarin and approximately every six months while on therapy.