Practice Question
A 55-year-old male was admitted 1 week ago for a left lower leg venous thromboembolism, confirmed by ultrasound. He started to work from home 4 months ago and reports that his activity level has significantly decreased. When admitted, his left lower leg had 3+ edema and was warm and reddened over the calf area. He was immediately started on intravenous heparin therapy, with warfarin (Coumadin) on the same day. The patient asks the nurse why two medications are necessary. Which response by the nurse is accurate?
Answer Choices:
Correct Answer:
Heparin works right away, but warfarin takes several days to prevent clots.
Rationale:
⚫ Heparin has an immediate anticoagulant effect when given IV.
⚫ Warfarin takes 3–5 days to reach therapeutic effect due to clotting factor half-life.
⚫ Both are given together until INR is therapeutic, then heparin is stopped.
⚫ This bridging therapy prevents clot extension or new clot formation during warfarin onset.
⚫ Educating patients prevents confusion and improves compliance.
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This question is from Med sur MCA 3 Exam 3 which contains 49 questions.
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Question Details
- Category: RN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: General Exams
- Domain: Medical-surgical📚
- Answer Choices: 4