Kyobu geka. The Japanese journal of thoracic surgery
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
[Optimum anticoagulation control after bileaflet mechanical valve replacement: a prospective multi-institutional study].
This study was undertaken to assess optimum anticoagulation control after bileaflet mechanical valve replacement by using the international normalized ratio of prothrombin time (PT-INR). From January to December 1995, 261 patients (pts) underwent mechanical valve replacement in the aortic (n = 95), mitral (n = 126), aortomitral (n = 39) or isolated tricuspid (n = 1) valve position in 8 medical centers in Tokyo, Japan. The St. ⋯ The patients with bleeding events showed some increase of PT-INP or received anti-platelet agents. The 5 to 95 percentile of PT-INR at 6 months was 1.2 to 3.0 in the patients without valve-related events. These results suggested that optimum range of PT-INR might be between 1.2 and 3.0 after bileaflet mechanical valve replacement in patients without high risk of thromboembolism and between 2.0 and 3.0 in patients with the high risk.