Introduction:

The use of acenocoumarol as an anticoagulant represents a contribution to the treatment of non-valvular atrial fibrillation. At present, there are other types of anticoagulants that do not require such exhaustive control of the International Normalized Ratio digital test and have fewer side effects. Spain is one of the few countries in Europe that continues to prescribe acenocoumarol, which is similar to warfarin. So much so that primary care physicians are not allowed to prescribe other more effective and less troublesome anticoagulants for the patient when performing the digital test.

Objective:

To analyze the inappropriate use of the drug acenocoumarol in non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

Methods:

An exploratory study was carried out in a primary health care system and secondary category hospitals. The population consisted of 2650 inhabitants of southeastern Spain with non-valvular atrial fibrillation, taking acenocoumarol with 12 months follow-up.

Results:

We considered the variations and lability of the International Normalized Ratio value, between 2.0-3.0 in determinations every 28 days, regardless of cardiovascular disease and figures obtained in relation to the previous. The follow-up time was 12 months and the lability disappeared, samples were taken every 28 days. Before the end of the study, the lability of the International Normalized Ratio disappeared for more than three months in 53 (97.95%) of the patients. Since most of the patients taking acenocoumarol were over 65 years of age and on polymedication, the medications taken by each of them were evaluated.

Conclusions:

The time elapsed between the International Normalized Ratio determination and the last intake of food and medication was not correct, and there is a tendency to perform anarchic determinations of the International Normalized Ratio without investigations related to drugs consumed together with acenocoumarol.

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