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It is very inconvenient for my wife who has a mechanical mitral valve and A-fib to go to the hospital weekly for inr testing. Since she has an unstable inr sometimes she has to go twice a week. We tried home testing for a couple of years but the cardiologist became suspicious of the readings and we did comparisons for a number of readings finding differences varying from a few points to more than a full number. The differences are especially apparent when nearing or exceeding the upper range limit.Since her range is 3.0 to 3.5 the cardiologist suggested we stop using the meter.
She has the INRatio meter, has anyone else had problems or know of a better meter?
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A study by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs found that home anticoagulation monitoring of patients on warfarin (Coumadin) was as effective as testing at the hospital clinic.
Thus, for those that can’t easily get to the hospital clinic, home INR (International Normalized Ratio) monitoring can be an effective and safe alternative. And Medicare now covers home testing, as do many insurance companies.
Read more: Home Anticoagulation Monitoring Is An Effective Alternative to Coumadin Clinics