Anticoagulants are a commonly prescribed class of medication that paramedics encounter in their day-to-day work. Warfarin has been used as an anticoagulant since the mid 1950s and despite the rise of newer direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), warfarin is still used today in the management of specific conditions. Patients on warfarin require ongoing testing to ensure their international normalised ratio (INR) levels are within the therapeutic range and they often share results with paramedics.
In this course, we review how to include results in the clinical assessment, the pharmacokinetics of warfarin, compare warfarin with newer DOACs, and explain which medication is preferred in different conditions. We explain what an INR is, how it's measured, and what foods, medications, and supplements can affect it.
By the end of this microlearning, you should be able to:
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The College is the peak professional body representing and supporting paramedics and student paramedics across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand since 1973.
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