A patient has been receiving IV heparin therapy for 6 days for treatment of DVT.The physician now orders warfarin (Coumadin)without discontinuing the heparin.The patient questions the nurse about the use of both drugs.What is the best response to the patient?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

It is important for the patient to continue both medications for several days because warfarin takes time to achieve a therapeutic effect. The overlap of warfarin and heparin reduces the risk of thrombosis, and once the therapeutic level of warfarin is reached, the heparin can be tapered off. It is important for the patient to understand this reasoning to reduce anxiety about being on two medications. Option A is inaccurate because the nurse should be knowledgeable about the use of anticoagulants and should not need to consult the physician for this question. Option B is incorrect because adding more anticoagulants without tapering off the heparin increases the risk of bleeding, which is not the desired outcome. Option D is incorrect because the metabolism of heparin is not affected by activity level.

A Patient Has Been Receiving IV Heparin Therapy for 6