Retrospective cohort study for evaluating the INR monitoring patterns in patients with deep vein thrombosis in daily practice: Analysis of 2010-2013 database of a tertiary care center.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the international normalized ratio (INR) monitoring patterns in patients with deep vein thrombosis. METHODS: Of 32,012 patients with ≥1 outpatient INR measurement and 42,582 patients with confirmed deep vein thrombosis diagnosis registered to our hospital between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2013, 6720 records were identified to have both deep vein thrombosis and international normalized ratio measurement, and 4.377 out of 6.720 single patient records were determined to be statistically analyzable. RESULTS: Median INR measurement frequency was 6.47 times/year and patients had INR levels of 2-3 in 34.3% of follow-up time. Having ≥70% vs. <70% of follow-up time within therapeutic range was associated with lower hospital admission frequency (9.7 vs. 10.3 times/year). CONCLUSION: Our study revealed only one-third of the follow-up time to be spent within therapeutic INR, association of INR therapeutic range with lesser number of hospital admissions and INR monitoring frequency of 6.47 times/year despite lack of stable INR control in most of the deep vein thrombosis patients.