title: Oral anticoagulant monitoring by laboratory or near-patient testing: what a clinician should be aware of.
abstract: Prothrombin time (PT) is the primary laboratory test for monitoring oral anticoagulant treatment but is influenced by preanalytical conditions and analytical variables, that is, thromboplastin reagents and instrumentation. Standardization and normalization of test results is mandatory. PT results should be transformed to International Normalized Ratio (INR) by calibration of the reagent/instrument system with International Reference standards according to World Health Organization guidelines. However, there is still uncertainty in the INR that is caused in part by calibration errors and in part by interaction between the PT reagent and various factors in the patient's specimen. These problems are highlighted in INR measurements performed with whole blood coagulation monitors. Each center should maintain an appropriate scheme of internal and external quality control for the laboratory INR measurement as well as the individual point-of-care coagulation monitors used by the center and patients for self-testing.
authors.affiliation: Bonomi Hemophilia and Thrombosis Centre, University and IRCCS Maggiore Hospital, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tripodi
authors.forename: W G M
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Breukink-Engbers
authors.forename: A M H P
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: van den Besselaar
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D006405:Hematology; D006801:Humans; D019934:International Normalized Ratio / Q000592:standards; D007753:Laboratories / Q000592:standards*; D011517:Prothrombin Time / Q000592:standards*; D011786:Quality Control; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000592:standards; D014859:Warfarin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D014859:Warfarin