Delineation of the user's profile of adapted tablets of warfarin in a university hospital

Abstract

Objective: To delineate the profile of patients who used adapted tablets of Warfarin during hospitalization at the Hospital Universitário Onofre Lopes (HUOL), emphasizing clinical and laboratory parameters associated with medication use. Method: It is a cross-sectional study, retrospective, descriptive, during the months from January to April 2012. Were evaluated all prescriptions containing Warfarin tablets 2,5mg and 5mg to be fractionated and administered orally or crushed for use via probe Enteral Nutrition (SNE), regarding the appropriateness and necessity of these adaptations. Then, the data of 16 patients were studied in the medical record, considering the diagnosis, monitoring of the anticoagulant effect through the values of INR (International Normalized Ratio) and the incidence of bleeding complications. Results: Of the patients studied, 50% (8/16) had underlying disease such as deep vein thrombosis. Reports of bleeding occurred in 82% (13/16) of patients, mostly related to hemoptysis. In at least one test, 87,5% (14/16) of patients had values above and below the therapeutic range considered in the research. As for the types of adaptations, 32% were for crushing the tablet 5mg and 28% to its fractionation, 20% referred to the fractionation and crushing the tablets of 2,5 mg. Conclusion: Many adaptations of Warfarin tablets were considered unnecessary and inappropriate, due to the peculiar characteristics of the drug in question. Studies aimed at formulating adaptations of Warfarin tablets should be developed for greater control and safety of the treatment.