Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 68%
Simulated
The nurse has administered warfarin 2.5 mg orally daily for three days to a client who has deep vein thrombosis. The client's International Normalized Ratio (INR) today is 5.0. The nurse notifies the healthcare provider because today's dose of the medication should be:
Correct answer
D
Rationale
Rationale: The correct answer is D: Held. An INR of 5.0 indicates the client's blood is too thin, putting them at risk for bleeding. Holding the dose of warfarin will help prevent further thinning of the blood. Switching to heparin (choice A) is unnecessary as the issue is with the current dose of warfarin. Giving as prescribed (choice B) would exacerbate the high INR. Increasing the dose (choice C) would further elevate the INR. Holding the dose (choice D) is the appropriate action to prevent complications.