title: Towards the safer use of warfarin I: an overview.
abstract: There has been an exponential increase of warfarin usage in the community since several large and well-designed clinical trials have consistently found that warfarin can safely prevent embolic stroke in people with atrial fibrillation. Safe and effective warfarin treatment requires a case-by-case evaluation of each patient's clinical condition and risk factors for bleeding. It also demands a therapeutic partnership where patients can accept an educated responsibility for managing their own condition. This requires mutually understood plans for ongoing management, including dose adjustment and responses to under- or overdose and to bleeding complications.
authors: SouthPath, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, SA, Australia.
authors: A S
authors: AS
authors: Gallus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D018579:Patient Selection; D012308:Risk Management; D014859:Warfarin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D014859:Warfarin