PT/INR: The Case for Point-of-Care Testing Every year, two million new people begin taking warfarin, an oral anticoagulant drug that helps to prevent blood clots, heart attacks and strokes. The drug's optimal dose can be tricky to set from person to person and depends on many risk factors, including age, diet and the use of other medications. Studies have shown that one-third of people receiving warfarin metabolize it differently than expected.1 If too high a dose of warfarin is given, the resident is at risk of life-threatening bleeding. On the other hand, if too low a dose of the drug is administered, they are at risk of equally dangerous blood clots.1 To monitor how well the drug is working, physicians and caregivers must perform prothrombin time, or PT, tests to evaluate the blood's ability to clot properly. The results of the PT test are then compared to the expected value in healthy people, known as the International Normalized Ratio, or INR. Until fairly recently, caregivers had to send blood drawn for PT/INR testing to a lab for analysis, which takes precious time. However, with the introduction of units designed for point-of-care testing, healthcare personnel can now receive PT results quickly, allowing them to arrange for faster warfarin dosage adjustments and potentially avoid life-threatening complications. Point-of-care PT/INR testing is possible because it has received CLIA-waived status, which is granted to tests that have low complexity, low risk for incorrect results and will not harm the resident if performed incorrectly. These tests are typically easy to perform and do not require special training or education.2 Professional Medical now offers the only point-of-care device that uses direct detection of clot formation to test rather than an electrochemical process. The portable Coag-Sense PT/INR system provides accurate results in less than a minute and requires a small blood sample size. To learn more, we invite you to contact your ProMed representative, give us a call at (800) 648-5190 or click the link above. References 1 Food and Drug Administration. FDA Approves Updated Warfarin (Coumadin) Prescribing Information. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/2007/ucm108967.htm. Accessed March 1, 2013. 2 Wagar EA, Yasin B, Yuan S. Point-of-Care Testing: Twenty Years’ Experience. LabMedicine. 2008;39(9):560-563.

Study: At-Work Foot Massages Help Relieve Caregiver Stress A new study has proven what many of us already know: foot massages are relaxing. Researchers in Australia conducted a pilot trial involving caregivers who work with seniors who have dementia. The caregivers could receive up to three 10-minute foot massages a week, given during their shifts at a long-term care facility. The control group in the study did not receive foot massages. The researchers found that the caregivers who received massages had lower diastolic blood pressure and significantly lower levels of anxiety than those in the control group. To learn more, click here.

The Coag-Sense PT/INR System provides accurate PT results in less than one minute, allowing abnormal results to be addressed immediately. Its portable tabletop design provides stability during testing and tests can be conducted using fresh capillary whole blood, venous or re-calcified plasma samples. Additional features: Makes frequent testing convenient and simple Measures the actual time required for clotting Barcoded test strips eliminate manual calibration Requires just 10 μ of blood Utilizes a unique micropipette or transfer tube for steady sample transfer Powered by 4 AA batteries (included) or an AC adapter (included) WARRANTY: One year

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