Prothrombin Time: What Affects The Test
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What Affects the Test
Reasons you may not be able to have the test or why the results may not be helpful include:
- Taking medicines that can affect the action of blood thinners (such as warfarin) and vitamin K. These include antibiotics, aspirin, cimetidine (Tagamet), barbiturates, birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and vitamin K supplements.
- Having severe diarrhea or vomiting that causes fluid loss and dehydration. This may make the PT time longer. If diarrhea is caused by poor absorption of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals from the intestinal tract (malabsorption syndrome), the PT may be longer because of a lack of vitamin K.
- Eating foods that have vitamin K, such as beef liver, pork liver, green tea, broccoli, chickpeas, kale, turnip greens, and soybean products.
- Drinking a lot of alcohol.
- Taking laxatives.
- Taking some herbal products or natural remedies.
| Last updated: | September 15, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Robin Parks, MS |
| Reviewed By: | Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine, Brian Leber, MDCM, FRCPC - Hematology |
| Editors: | Maria Essig, Tracy Landauer |
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