Vitamin K will be used less often to reverse warfarin's anticoagulant effects

May 2012

Vitamin K will be used less often to reverse warfarin's anticoagulant effects.

Previous guidelines suggested lowering INRs between 5 and 9 by holding warfarin...or holding warfarin AND giving vitamin K.

But there's a change. Suggest NOT giving vitamin K for high INRs up to 10 in most patients...if there's no bleeding.

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Table of Contents

Interactions "alert fatigue" caused by the increasing number of drug interaction warnings
Statins Statin patients will get fewer liver function tests
Supplements raspberry ketone for weight loss
Insomnia Intermezzo (in-ter-MET-zoe), a new low-dose zolpidem for middle-of-the-night awakening
Women's Health Natazia for heavy menstrual bleeding
Women's Health a more tailored approach to using hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms
Antithrombotics Brilinta (ticagrelor) for acute coronary syndrome
Ophthalmology taking an alpha-blocker can cause serious complications years later during cataract surgery
Antithrombotics Vitamin K will be used less often to reverse warfarin's anticoagulant effects
Alzheimer's Disease cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, etc) or memantine (Namenda) are beneficial for Alzheimer's
Practice allowing pharmacists to authorize the use of certain drugs previously reserved for a physician's Rx