Treating Anticoagulated Patients

chronic care clinical topics lab interpretation Nov 15, 2022

So many things in primary care are deceptively complex. There may be a few genuinely simple things that we treat, but so many things that come into our exam rooms are complex and sometimes downright confusing. Yes, it does get better with time, but some things remain tricky even after years on the job. There is always something that you haven’t seen before, or haven’t seen in a while, that takes you right back to feeling like you are at day one of being an NP.

Anticoagulated patients are one of those situations. In primary care, we are often either inheriting the patient who is on anticoagulation, or we are following up after someone else started them (maybe after a trip to the emergency department). While the concept itself is pretty simple – medication that thins the blood so that they don’t get clots, got it – the reality of managing an anticoagulated patient is something else.

There Are So Many Things To Consider When Treating Anticoagulated Patients

It is completely normal to question yourself with anticoagulated patients. If you have been there, or if you would like to be prepared before you see your first anticoagulated patient, this week’s video is for you. We will talk about:

Where to start with the anticoagulated patient – and then where to go
Different types of anticoagulants
Everything you need to consider to prescribe anticoagulants safely
How long to keep a patient on anticoagulants
How to monitor the anticoagulated patient, and what to watch for

Anticoagulation has so many benefits for the patients that need it, but like anything else in medicine, it comes with risks. Building up your knowledge about what to look for (and what to do if you find it) when working with anticoagulated patients will make such a difference in building your confidence as a provider.