Frequently Asked Questions
What is an anticoagulation clinic?
Over 6 million people worldwide take oral anticoagulation medications such as warfarin to reduce the body's chances of forming dangerous blood clots. Our anticoagulation clinic is a special clinic dedicated to managing patients' dosage of blood thinning medications, such as warfarin. Patients are maintained in the optimal therapeutic range to prevent complications such as unwanted blood clotting, or excessive bleeding. Our anticoagualation specialists see patients on a regular basis for physical exams, laboratory testing, and to provide dosing instructions for patients, as well as timely reporting back to the their own physicians regarding management of their anticoagulation therapy.
What happens on the first visit to the ACNA clinic?
On your first visit, or if you are in the hospital, you will be seen first by our Hematologist (physician who specializes in blood disorders) who will evaluate your case and do a physical exam and order laboratory testing. Your follow-up visits will be provided by our specialized ACNA clinicians in the ACNA clinic and may include exams, lab tests, education, and medication dosing instructions.
What is a typical visit to the ACNA clinic like?
A typical follow-up visit will take about 15-30 minutes. You will have blood drawn in our laboratory and then you will see one of our clinicians in an exam room. You will be able to tell the clinician about any recent changes in your health, complaints, or symptoms that you might have. With this information and your lab test results, the clinician will review your chart information and determine if your anticoagulation medication (such as warfarin, or Coumadin) dose will stay the same, or be adjusted. If your dose needs to be adjusted, the clinician will give you a dose card with instructions on how much medication to take.
What types of patients do you take care of?
We see patients with a variety of disorders such as, abnormal heart rhythm, heart valve replacement, heart attack, deep vein thrombosis (clots in the thigh, leg, or pelvis), stroke, pulmonary embolism (clots that travel to the lungs), and a variety of other disorders.
Why is anticoagulation therapy management necessary?
The effectiveness of oral anticoagulation therapy, such as warfarin, can change over time due to changes in the patients diet, other medications or illnesses the patient may experience, or alcohol usage and lifestyle changes. Because of these changes, patients on oral anticoagulation medications require close monitoring of their blood clotting time, through laboratory tests, such as PT/INR, to maintain the patient in the desired therapeutic range to avoid unwanted blood clots, or excessive bleeding.
What is PT?
PT is the abbreviation for Prothrombin Time. This lab test is the most common method to determine the clotting time of a patient’s blood. Results are reports as the number of seconds it takes for the blood to clot during the laboratory test.
What is an INR?
INR stands for International Normalized Ratio, which is the accepted as the standard unit for reporting the Prothrombin Time results. The INR is a conversion unit that takes into account differences between various testing regimens to normalize the results.
Will my regular doctor know how I am doing?
Yes! Our ACNA clinicians communicate with your primary care doctor and all other referring physicians. They provide updates on a regular basis to your doctors, as well as find out about any additional problems that might require immediate attention.
How are patients referred to an ACNA clinic?
Referrals can be made by your physician. You may ask your physician for a referral for management of your anticoagulation medication. You will remain under the care of your physician and we will manage your oral anticoagulation medications to keep your dose in the correct range to avoid problems with clotting or excessive bleeding. This helps your physician, and helps reduce emergency room visits, hospital stays, and the overall cost of your medical care. We typically receive referrals from these types of physicians: cardiologists, neurologists, vascular surgeons, internal medicine, and family practice physicians. Your physician may call 210-595-5300 to refer you to one of our clinics.
Are your clinicians available for questions or problems?
Yes! There are several ways to contact us. You may e-mail us for general information or call our main phone number, 210-595-5300, for information about getting a referral. As always, for medical emergencies please call 911 for immediate help. Referring physicians may call 210-595-5300 for emergency consultations.
Where Can I Find More Information?
ClotCare Online Resource
Coumadin
Thrombophilia Support Page
HIPAA
Please be aware that this is not a secure page. Please do not send or request information regarding specific cases, and avoid using easily identifiable patient confidential information such as a name or patient ID number
