INR mix up again!!...

[popshaw21]

Hi all,The last few days ive picked up a bit and have had some energy to go for a few walks with poppy,I also managed to travel to dorset where my son and grandson live.

I have weekly INR tests and my doctors surgery will ring me to tell me how much warfarin to take for the week.However my surgery keeps getting the results and dosages mixed up with my father who has the same christian name and is also on warfarin,my father is 84 and is quite vulnerable.

The last 2 weeks my surgery have forgotten to ring me with my dosage and on a couple of occassions have given me my fathers dosage!,which he normally takes 2mg daily where as i take a minimum of 5 mg.

I have spoken with my doctor about this mix up and she assured me that it would not happen again.I had my INR taken this tuesday and waited for a call from my surgery,and again they did'nt contact me!

Ive recently seen my rheumatologist and told him about this mix up with the INR and he is going to write to my doctor and hopefully they will get there act together.

I hope everyone will have a peaceful weekend.

best wishes pops

[tim47]

Many surgeries use a computer program called INRStar to track INRs and dosage, and to suggest dosage for the next period. It might be worthwhile asking if your surgery uses it and if it has any means to either put a warning about similarly named patients, or warnings to check that your results come to you and your father's to him. If it doesn't have that facility it blooming well ought to have it. (see inrstar.co.uk/ for the company).

There has to be a way of flagging up potential like identities in surgeries amongst patients, maybe in the meantime you should get them to check the date of birth on the results sheet, I am sure that the INRStar sheet has a dob.

Patients with similar names are not unique to your surgery and there really should be procedures in place to ensure that the right people get the right information. No ifs or buts, too important to mess up.

[harrio]

Hi Poppy, it must be a worry for you. I managed to buy myself a Coagcheck machine, so I self test. It gives me peace of mind and I go to the Doctors about every two months to make sure our results are the same. Im sure all will be ok for you, enjoy Dorset, its a wonderful county I went to School in Shaftesbury some 40 odd years ago....good luck

[Jillymo]

Hi Pops,

Nice to hear you have picked uo a bit, i bet dear old poppy was pleased to go for her walk & iI hope a bit of fresh air did you good.

Theres no stopping you once your uo & running.....Dorset lucky you, I hope you enjoyed.

As for your surgery I would do what APS has sujested & complain to the surgery manager.

Your dear old dad is getting on in years & as you said he gets confussed the situation with the surgery is not good.

Nice to hear from you Jillymo x

[popshaw21 in reply to Jillymo]

Hi jillmo,sorry ive not replied to your comment,but ive had a miserable week with one thing after another.

I had a lovely day last saturday spending quailty time with my son and wonderful grandson,and the weather was a bonus.

I have put a complaint in via my doctor and rheumatologist and they have now taken action to make sure that there are no more mix's ups with my father regarding the bloodtests.

How did you get on with your consultation at bath hospital?are they going to help you get the correct treatment?(I hope so)

I'm feeling better today and my energy levels have improved,the weather is dissapointing as summer has started wet and windy here today.

well i hope your feeling well.Take care..pops x

[Jillymo in reply to popshaw21]

Hi Pops,

I was pleased to hear you spent a bit of quality time with your family, with regard to your Gp surgery I would have done the same.

i arrived at my appointment an hour late due to the driver getting lost so it was not a good start.

Proff Mchugh was rather quite, I was a bit tense so it was not good.......he did blood work but no follow up appointment offered at this stage !

I have emailed him since with a full medical history as I didn't feel i had said all that I had wonted to.

I have had a letter since saying they are still awaiting results & that he wants me to attend residential coping skill classes !!!!!!

I would like to find out what it is I am coping with perhaps then we would know what we are dealing with.

Disappointing to say the least. Jillly mo x One for poppy x

[MaryF Administrator]

Hi there, a short, polite but firm letter both practice manager, GP and rheumatologist would nip that in the bud swiftly, your main point being deep concern! Mary F x

[Hidden]

Hi there and sorry to hear about this mix-up. Could the hospital not phone you or email you instead? No matter whether I go to the hospital or surgery for my Warfarin tests, I get an email from the hospital which details my name, hospital and NHS number at the top. It states what my result is for that blood test and what my new dose should be for the following week. This way it comes straight to my mobile phone within about two hours and if there is a massive swing in result, the clinic phone me on my mobile to discuss. It works really well. Good luck.

[Hidden]

My INR fluctuates like crazy too. Mine is measured on the spot at the surgery by a finger prick test and my GP tells me in person during the appointment what my next dose should be for the week. Absolutely no way of getting me mixed up with someone else that way. She enters my INR on the computer with the dose so she has a record of it and writes it down for me in a booklet so I can't forget and so I have it available for any other health professionals if they need it. Can your surgery not do on-the-spot finger prick tests?

Not good enough at all to be muddling you up with your father; that could be a disaster for both of you. Definitely needs a complaint in writing.