Anticoagulation Clinic

The Anticoagulation Clinic is a specialized outpatient cardiac clinic designed to care for patients who are required to take an anticoagulant such as warfarin (commercial name: Coumadin). The clinic:

• Determines the amount of medication patients are to take, based on blood testing
• Monitors lab results and sets times for repeat blood testing
• Adjusts dosages, as necessary, and checks for possible drug interactions
• Educates patients and family

An anticoagulant is a medication that helps reduce clots from forming in the blood. “Anti-” means against and “coagulate” means to thicken into a gel or solid. Anticoagulants are often also called blood thinners.

The clinic is staffed by registered nurses who specialize in the care and management of patients who are taking anticoagulants on a short-term or long-term basis. The nurses work with Heart Institute cardiologists to manage patients’ medications based on their lab results. international normalized ratio (INR) is the blood test used to determine how fast the blood is clotting.

Patients will be seen in the clinic once by the cardiologist and then as required by the nurses. Clinic staff works with patients to determine the best method of communication. The standard approach is by an automated call system.

The clinic works in conjunction with other health care providers, such as a patient’s own family physician and cardiologist.