Key result
Low initial warfarin dose achieves similar time to INR ≥2.0 versus high dose in elderly patients.
Why the study?
Does an initial warfarin dose of 5 mg or below compared to above 5 mg improve time to therapeutic INR and safety in hospitalized elderly patients?
Observational (n=73)
No
Does an initial warfarin dose of 5 mg or below compared to above 5 mg improve time to therapeutic INR and safety in hospitalized elderly patients?
Absolute Event Rate: 3.4% vs 3%
p-value: p=0.38
In elderly inpatients, initiating warfarin at ≤5 mg achieves therapeutic INR in a similar time as >5 mg, with a non-significant trend toward fewer bleeding complications.
Should not yet change dosing practices in elderly inpatients; leaves open confirmation of safety in randomized trials.
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O’Connell et al. (2000) conducted an observational in Hospitalized elderly requiring warfarin (n=73). Low initial warfarin dose vs. High initial warfarin dose (>5 mg) was evaluated on time to first international normalized ratio (INR) of 2.0 or greater (p=0.38). A low initial warfarin dose (≤5 mg) in hospitalized elderly patients achieved a similar mean time to first INR ≥2.0 compared to a high dose (>5 mg) (3.4 vs 3.0 days, p=0.38).
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