Description of Event or Problem · 0
MY HUSBAND, (B)(6), HAD AN RETINAL ARTERIAL OCCLUSION ON (B)(6) 2025. HE WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS FOR OBSERVATION. THEY FOLLOWED STROKE PROTOCOL AT THE HOSPITAL AND CALLED A RETINA SPECIALIST. OUR INTERNATIONAL NORMALISED RATIO (INR) MACHINE THAT WE USED AT HOME SEEMED TO BE GIVING INCONSISTENT RESULTS. AFTER VISITING THE CARDIOLOGIST, HE SUGGESTED WE SEE A HEMATOLOGIST. WE HAD A BLOOD WORKUP WITH THE HEMATOLOGIST AND A CONSULTATION WHERE WE BROUGHT OUR COAG-SENSE MONITOR WITH US. WE DID A SIDE BY SIDE AT THE HOSPITAL ON THAT DAY, (B)(6) 2025. THE RESULTS OF THE SIDE BY SIDE WERE 4.0 ON THE COAG-SENSE INR MACHINE AND 3.08 WITH THE BLOOD DRAW. THIS IS A .92 DIFFERENCE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT MY HUSBAND BECAUSE OF THIS WAS NON-THERAPEUTIC FOR POSSIBLY 2 WEEKS WHICH CAUSED BLOOD CLOTS TO FORM, WHICH ONE BROKE OFF AND SHOT THOUGH HIS PFO (PATENT FORAMEN OVALE) UP TO HIS LEFT EYE. WE REPORTED THIS TO COAG-SENSE AND THEY REPLACED THE MACHINE IN NOVEMBER. WE HAVE BEEN USING THE NEW MACHINE AND INCREASE HIS THERAPEUTIC RANGE TO 3.0 - 3.7 (PREVIOUSLY 2.5 - 3.5, THE RANGE SUGGESTED FOR HIS CARBON COATED ONYX HEART VALVE). BY DOING THIS WE ARE TRYING TO AVOID A CLOT IN THE CASE THE MACHINE IS OFF. BECAUSE OF THE RETINAL ARTERY OCCLUSION, MY HUSBAND HAS PERMANENT VISION LOSS IN HIS LEFT EYE. FAST FORWARD TO (B)(6) 2026, (B)(6) HAD A HIP REPLACEMENT ON (B)(6) 2026. BEFORE LEAVING THE HOSPITAL, WE DECIDED TO DO A SIDE BY SIDE WITH THE NEW MACHINE TO ENSURE ACCURACY OF HIS AT HOME TESTING AS THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE HIP AND HIS HEART VALVE. THE SIDE BY SIDE ONCE AGAIN HAD A BIG DISPARITY. WE DID THE SIDE BY SIDE ON (B)(6) 2026. THE SIDE BY SIDE WAS 2.3 ON THE COAG-SENSE INR MACHINE AND 1.46 WITH THE BLOOD DRAW. THIS IS A .84 DIFFERENCE. ACCORDING TO COAG-SENSE ONLY A .5 DIFFERENCE IS ACCEPTABLE. WE REACHED OUT TO THEM ON (B)(6) 2026, SENT THEM THE RESULTS AND HAVE YET TO HEAR BACK. I EXPECT THEY WILL CALL US SOON TO REPLACE THE MACHINE. THIS TYPE OF INACCURACY EFFECTS OUR DECISION AS TO HOW MUCH WARFARIN (B)(6) SHOULD TAKE. IN THE CASE OF (B)(6) 2025. HIS INR WAS 2.7 FOR THE 2 WEEKS PREVIOUS. IN THAT CASE WE THOUGHT HE WAS IN RANGE FOR THE WHOLE PERIOD OF TIME WHEN IN REALITY HE WAS NOT THERAPEUTIC IF IT WAS .84 OR .92 OFF GIVING PLENTY OF TIME FOR CLOTS TO FORM ON HIS VALVE. WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED THAT THERE IS AN ACCEPTABLE AMOUNT IT COULD BE OFF SO THAT WE COULD ADJUST ACCORDINGLY. OBVIOUSLY NOW THAT WE KNOW THIS, WE ARE KEEPING HIS THERAPEUTIC RANGE HIGHER TO PROTECT HIM FROM THIS EVER HAPPENING TO HIM AGAIN. WE GET THE COAG- SENSE THOUGH A SERVICE CALLED MD-INR THAT OUR CARDIOLOGIST SET UP FOR US. THE ADDRESS FOR COAG-SENSE IS: COAGUSENSE, INC (B)(6), (B)(6), (B)(6). INTERNATIONAL NORMALISED RATIO (INR) TEST BOTH DONE AT (B)(6) IN (B)(6). MY HUSBANDS RANGE IS 3.0 TO 3.7. THESE WERE THE BLOOD DRAWS. (B)(6) HAS TO BE THERAPEUTIC WITH HIS INR BECAUSE HE HAS A CARBON COATED ONYX TITANIUM HEAR VALVE. HIS THERAPEUTIC RANGE IS NOW 3 - 3.7.