What is Anticoagulation Therapy
Anticoagulants are medicines that help prevent blood clots. The term “coagulation,” which is a liquid turning to a solid, is where “anticoagulation” comes from. Anticoagulants are often called blood thinners. However, they don't actually thin your blood. Instead, they increase the time it takes for a blood clot to form. Because blood clots can lead to stroke, anticoagulants and anticoagulation therapy benefits many people.
LMH Health Anticoagulation Clinic
Some patients need medication to reduce the risk of blood clots. If your doctor prescribes anticoagulation therapy, it is important to have your clotting level checked often so your dosage can be adjusted if needed. At LMH Health Anticoagulation Clinic, our goal is to assist you and your physician monitor and manage your anticoagulation drug therapy. Our pharmacists and nurse practitioners perform a quick test with immediate results to determine how well your medication is working.
Not only will you receive quick test results, but at this clinic, you’re able to have face-to-face visits at time that fit your busy schedule. Because you receive immediate results in our clinic, we can quickly determine the urgency of your condition and provide you treatment options.
INR testing
We perform a simple fingerstick blood test to check your international normalized ratio (INR). INR indicates how quickly your blood clots. INRs are evaluated to maintain the benefits of the drug you are taking and reduce your risk of bleeding or forming a blood clot.
Immediate results
After your fingerstick test, we'll give you your results in 15 to 30 seconds. We will adjust your dosage during your appointment if needed. Results are sent to your prescribing physician.
In case of surgery
We know that, at times, you will have to stop your regular anticoagulation medication – for example, if you’re having surgery. There are short-term anticoagulants that you can take in this situation. We’ll create a plan so you can safely move from your usual medication, proceed with your operation and then return to your usual anticoagulant. We at the Anticoagulation Clinic call this process “bridging.”
Convenience and safety
The LMH Anticoagulation Clinic is at 4th Street Health Plaza, 1130 W. Fourth Street, suite 2030. Our nurse practitioners and pharmacists dedicate themselves to your safety. To ensure excellence and safety, protocols and procedures have physician medical directors’ supervision.
We specialize in monitoring patients who take warfarin (Coumadin®) or other anticoagulants to treat blood clots in the legs (deep vein thrombosis), blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolism), irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation), mechanical heart valve replacement or any other cardiovascular or circulatory disease.
