Facts About Coumadin

Coumadin, an anticoagulant used to prevent blood clots, has recently been linked to nursing home deaths and injuries.  The issue revolves around poor monitoring of Coumadin administered to nursing home patients and residents.  Close monitoring of the drug is necessary in order to prevent serious injury and death.

If a patient receives too little of a dosage of Coumadin, or a similar anticoagulant, then it may inhibit the body from preventing blood clots which can cause a stroke.  However, if a patient is given too much Coumadin, then the patient is at increased risk for internal bleeding.

What is Coumadin?

Coumadin, also known as Warfarin, is an anticoagulant that is often prescribed to older adults for prevention of strokes, blood clots, and heart attacks.  It is most commonly used for the prevention of thrombosis, the formation of blood clots in the blood vessels, and thromboembolism, the migration of blood clots to other areas of the body.  Coumadin was initially introduced in 1948 as a pesticide used against rats and mice.  The drug was derived from a chemical in spoiled sweet clover that caused internal hemorrhaging in cattle that led to death after being dehorned, castrated, or during other procedures.  A few years later, a drug manufacturer began selling Warfarin for human use, as an anticoagulant to prevent thrombosis and thromboembolism, under the brand name Coumadin.  It was approved for use as a prescription medication in 1954.  Warfarin is the most popular anticoagulant drug prescribed in North America, followed by Heparin.

How do blood thinners work?

Anticoagulants work on chemical reactions in the body to increase the amount of time that it takes for a blood clot to form.  Anticoagulants, also referred to as blood thinners, do not actually thin the blood.  Rather, they decrease the body’s ability to clot by targeting clotting factors.  Clotting factors are proteins that are produced in the liver with the help of Vitamin K.  Anticoagulants work by competing with Vitamin K to inhibit the circulation of certain clotting factors, such as Factors II, VII, IX, and X.

Who Should Avoid Taking Coumadin?

Since Coumadin is a blood thinner that can make a person bleed more easily than normal, it is suggested that you avoid taking Coumadin if you have:

• An allergy to warfarin
• Hemophilia, or a bleeding disorder
• Recently experienced head trauma, brain bleeding or hemorrhaging, or an aneurysm
• Recently had a spinal tap or epidural
• Bacterial endocarditis, or infection around the lining of the heart
• Been coughing up blood or observe blood in your urine or stool
• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• A blood disorder

If you have a history of bleeding problems, high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease, cancer, kidney or liver disease, gastrointestinal bleeding or ulcers, or recently had a medical emergency or surgery, Coumadin can increase the risk of internal bleeding.  You should always consult with an experienced, licensed medical professional before making decisions regarding prescription medications.

Coumadin Monitoring In Nursing Homes

The instances of nursing home abuse and neglect in the United States continue to rise even with efforts to monitor and regulate nursing home policies, staffing, and quality control.  Nursing homes and healthcare facilities make mistakes, so it is important to be diligent about the care that you or loved one is receiving.

Although Coumadin is beneficial in preventing blood clots, careful monitoring is critical to ensure that your loved one receives the correct dosage.  It is also important to monitor the effects of Coumadin on a resident’s blood, and monitor for adverse side effects.  There have been reports of nursing homes failing to properly monitor patients taking Coumadin, and those patients experiencing serious injury or death as a result.

If you have a loved one in a nursing home, it is a good idea to keep a list of all of the medications that he or she has taken in the past, and is currently taking.  Make notes of any drugs that may contraindicate each other, list all known allergies, surgeries, and procedures, and keep track of the nursing home’s ability and diligence in taking care of your loved one’s needs.  If at any point you feel that your loved one’s medications are not being properly monitored, dosed, or administered, you may find it helpful to speak with a nursing home abuse attorney about your loved one’s legal rights.

Additional Resources

“Popular Blood Thinner Has Been Linked With Causing Nursing Home Deaths and Injuries”

Stroke Association