For a patient with atrial fibrillation on warfarin therapy, what is the target INR range for stroke prevention?

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Multiple Choice

For a patient with atrial fibrillation on warfarin therapy, what is the target INR range for stroke prevention?

Explanation:
In atrial fibrillation, the goal of warfarin therapy is to keep the blood sufficiently anticoagulated to prevent clot formation in the atria, while avoiding excessive bleeding. The INR is a lab measure of how long it takes blood to clot, standardized so normal value is about 1.0. For stroke prevention in AFib, the recommended target range is two to three. Staying in this window means the blood is anticoagulated enough to reduce the risk of embolic stroke without an undue increase in bleeding risk. If the INR is below 2, the protection against stroke is inadequate; if it’s above 3, bleeding risk rises. Therefore, two to three is the best balance for this scenario.

In atrial fibrillation, the goal of warfarin therapy is to keep the blood sufficiently anticoagulated to prevent clot formation in the atria, while avoiding excessive bleeding. The INR is a lab measure of how long it takes blood to clot, standardized so normal value is about 1.0. For stroke prevention in AFib, the recommended target range is two to three. Staying in this window means the blood is anticoagulated enough to reduce the risk of embolic stroke without an undue increase in bleeding risk. If the INR is below 2, the protection against stroke is inadequate; if it’s above 3, bleeding risk rises. Therefore, two to three is the best balance for this scenario.

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