ANTICOAGULANTS AFTER OPEN‐HEART SURGERY

Serial anticoagulant requirements have been examined in 57 cases up to 12 months after open‐heart surgery. The mean initial dosage required was low, 4·5 mg of warfarin, but increased progressively to more than double by the end of 12 months. It is suggested that the small initial dosage requirement is due to hepatic impairment, and the subsequent increase to improving liver function. Awareness of this changing pattern of anticoagulant needs is important in supervising the control of therapy in patients after prosthetic valve replacement.