PTT monitoring

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The scenario '' Pt is on heparin therapy for DVT treatment. Last PTT 102 ''

Question: Is this PTT a normal therapeutic range? The literature provides different answers. I am confused. Can you tell me what the range should be.

According to my book aPTT = 20-39 Therapeutic range 1.5 - 2.5 normal.

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Our hospital has a heparin protocol - docs can order a drip by protocol where we can adjust based on PTTs or order without protocol in which we give them the results and they order a new dosage.

In any case the pt should have a baseline PTT for comparison. By our protocol we stop the drip for an hour for a PTT over 100, then restart at a specified lower dose and recheck PTT 6 hours later.

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Thank you. It was helpful information to know.

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Specializes in CTICU.

Protocols online to google: heparin drip DVT protocol. eg. http://www.methodistmd.org/pdf/mec/2006_08/5b%20Heparin%20Protocol%20for%20Med%20CadiologySouth%2007-24-06%20QM%20.pdf

102 is high at my place of work and heparin would be turned off for an hour.

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Specializes in Telemetry, ICU/CCU, Specials, CM/DM.

At my facility that I used to work at, the protocol for therapeutic was 70-90. Some doctors wrote their own parameters. Every facility may be different, so check your facility for their protocol and P&P. 102 would definitely be high and we did also stop the infusion for one hour also. Good luck!

Christy

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