Patient was educated on precautions to be exercised while taking Coumadin as follows:
- Wear gloves while doing household projects. Exercise caution while using sharp instruments, such as knives, needles, and forks.
- Use an electric razor, while shaving, as shaving with a regular razor carries a significant risk for sustaining cuts and consequent bleeding.
- Watch for hard surfaces around during ambulation and avoid knocking against them. Senior citizens have a tender skin and bumping into such surfaces can result in bleeding into the skin. Sometimes, the bleeding can be profuse and alarming. Closely follow for symptoms of sudden bleeding into the skin and formation of brownish red patches on the skin, especially on the outer surfaces of the extremities.
- Keep up with use of laxatives and other measures to prevent constipation. Avoid straining at stool, as this could result in profuse bleeding per rectum.
- Observe compliance with weekly INR lab draw.
