Quality of Care in Oral Anticoagulation Measured

摘要

These findings appear in this month's issue of Circulation:Cardiovascular Quality and Outcormes. Oral anticoagulation with warfarin is received by millions ofArmericans each year to treat blood clots and to preventstrokes. While warfarin is effective, it is difficult to thin apatient's blood enough to protect thern while avoidingdangerous over-anticoagulation. Excessive anticoagulationmay result in serious or even fatal bleeding. particularlybleedingaround the brain. Inadequate anticoagulationleaves the patient vulnerable to the events(such as stroke)that warfarin isused to prevent.