What is the primary risk when the INR is too low?

What is the primary risk when the INR is too low?

• A. Increased risk of bleeding
• B. Risk of developing a blood clot
• C. No risk change
• D. Infection risk

Answer: (B)

When INR is too low, the blood doesn’t stay as anticoagulated as intended and it clots more readily. The primary risk becomes the formation of clots that can travel and block vessels, potentially causing events like ischemic stroke, deep vein thrombosis, or pulmonary embolism. In contrast, a high INR raises bleeding risk, not clotting, and infection risk isn’t related to INR. So the main danger of a low INR is developing a blood clot.

When INR is too low, the blood doesn’t stay as anticoagulated as intended and it clots more readily. The primary risk becomes the formation of clots that can travel and block vessels, potentially causing events like ischemic stroke, deep vein thrombosis, or pulmonary embolism. In contrast, a high INR raises bleeding risk, not clotting, and infection risk isn’t related to INR. So the main danger of a low INR is developing a blood clot.