What monitoring is essential for patients on warfarin?

The essential monitoring for patients on warfarin is regular INR checks. Warfarin is an anticoagulant that works by inhibiting vitamin K-dependent clotting factors, thus increasing the risk of bleeding. The International Normalized Ratio (INR) is a standardized measure that helps healthcare providers assess the effectiveness of warfarin therapy and ensure that it is within a therapeutic range. Keeping the INR within this range is crucial to balancing the risk of thrombosis against the risk of bleeding complications.

Regular INR checks allow healthcare providers to adjust the warfarin dosage for each patient, taking into account individual factors such as diet, other medications, and health conditions that may affect coagulation. This monitoring is critical to ensuring safe and effective management of anticoagulation therapy.