There are many individuals who take medication which is designed to thin their blood so it does not form dangerous blood clots. To confirm the medication that has been prescribed is working, a Hemosense PTINR test strip is used.
A small sample of blood is drawn; the prothrombin time (PT) test tells the doctor or medical technician how long it takes for the blood to clot. Blood clotting within the body involves a chain reaction of certain chemicals; these clotting factors happen in a chain, one after another, the result is a clot. There must be the right balance of these chemicals and each one must function properly for normal blood clotting to occur; to little or too much of these coagulation factors can lead to bleeding or clotting which is abnormal.
The Hemosense PTINR test strip measures the reaction time in seconds, the test time is then compared to the range one can expect in a normal healthy individual. The reagents that are used when performing the PT test vary from lab to lab. So that the results will be a standard, the WHO, World Health Organization developed an International Normalized ratio, INR. The INR takes into account the different reagents and it allows for the comparison of results from one lab to another.
The test is ordered by the doctor so unexplained bleeding can be diagnosed. There are times when the test will be done on people who have never shown a tendency to bleed excessively; the test is done prior to major surgery.
Periodically, the doctor of a patient who is taking the anticoagulant drug warfarin orders the test to make sure it is working as it should. The tests are not taken against any specific schedule; the doctor orders the test when he wants to assure himself that the drug is maintaining the correct blood clotting time without excessive bleeding or bruising.
In many cases the trigger that prompts the doctor to use a Hemosense PTINR test strip is excessive nose bleeds, abnormally heavy menstrual periods or the presence of blood in the patient’s tool or urine.
As the test results are measured in time and are adjusted to normal readings, a prolonged PT may indicate liver problems or a vitamin K deficiency. Know more, visit the website Expressmedicalsupplies.com.
