Why should I carry information about my INR?

A medical alert device could prove vital to anyone on Warfarin.

If you are taking Warfarin your blood will take longer to clot than that of the average person. This means that if you cut yourself, or you are injured, it may take longer to get the bleeding to stop.  Therefore, it is vital that in an emergency the medical professionals caring for you are quickly made aware that you are taking Warfarin.  Depending on the nature of the emergency you may not be able to communicate this yourself.  This is why it is important to carry information about your Warfarin therapy with you at all times.

Your doctor may have provided you with an anticoagulation booklet which you can use to record information, or alternatively you can print off a Treatment and INR Record here.

You should also consider wearing some form of medical alert jewellery which is easily recognisable to the emergency services. medical alert

Whatever you decide to use you should try and ensure that the following information is readily available,

  • your current Warfarin dosage
  • your last INR reading
  • your Therapeutic Range i.e. target INR
  • details of the underlying health condition requiring you to take warfarin
  • emergency contacts and telephone numbers
  • any other information which may be required in an emergency
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