Connecticut Medication Error Attorneys: Coumadin
- Have you been injured by the anti-coagulant drug Coumadin?
- Has a loved one died because a doctor failed to appropriately monitor this type of therapy?
The anti-coagulant drug warfarin is sold under the brand name Coumadin. This blood-thinning drug is typically prescribed to treat people at risk for blood clots. It may be prescribed for other reasons, as well.
Individuals taking Coumadin need to be closely monitored by a doctor. In rare but serious cases, complications can occur that result in serious injury and even death. Medical professionals are expected to monitor Coumadin by testing a patient's International Normalized Ratio (INR), which tests how thin the blood is.
Contact D'Amico, Griffin and Pettinicchi, LLC — If you or a loved one has been affected by Coumadin, call our Watertown law office at 866-751-5691 or contact us online.
Monitoring Coumadin
Coumadin can be safe and effective, if prescribed and monitored closely. When an individual is first prescribed Coumadin, doctors are supposed to monitor the INR frequently. If an individual's INR is normal, testing tapers off to a less frequent interval.
Most complications involving Coumadin can be avoided if the patient is closely monitored. However, when a health care professional fails to monitor its effects, a patient is at risk for injury or even death:
- If the International Normalized Ratio (INR) is too low, an individual can suffer from the condition he or she is supposedly being treated for, a blood clot;
- If the International Normalized Ratio (INR) is too high, an individual can suffer dangerous, uncontrollable bleeding.
If you are taking Coumadin, it is important to inform any healthcare professional you will be visiting — including dentists. This drug affects the body's blood clotting system, and any healthcare professional you may be seeing needs to know that you are taking it.
Have you been affected by medical negligence? Contact our lawyers by calling 866-751-5691.
