PT INR Test Price in Pakistan: PKR 770 at Marham Lab

Prothrombin is a protein made by the liver and one of several clotting factors. MedlinePlus explains that when you are injured, your clotting factors work together to form a blood clot, and that a prothrombin time test measures how many seconds it takes for a clot to form in a blood sample. At Marham Lab a PT with INR test costs PKR 770.

MedlinePlus gives one preparation instruction specific to this test: if you are taking warfarin, you may need to delay your daily dose until after testing.

Ask the doctor who ordered the test, and do not simply skip a dose on your own. Book the sample early in the day so any delayed dose can still be taken on time.

MedlinePlus lists the main uses.

• Seeing how well warfarin, a blood thinning medicine sold under brand names including Coumadin, is preventing clots, with the dose adjusted on the result
• Finding the reason for abnormal blood clots
• Finding the reason for unusual bleeding
• Checking clotting ability before a procedure or surgery that may cause bleeding
• Checking for liver problems
• Checking for vitamin K deficiency

MedlinePlus notes it is often done alongside a partial thromboplastin time test, which checks different coagulation factors.

Bleeding disorder: unexplained heavy bleeding, bruising easily, unusually heavy nose bleeds, and unusually heavy menstrual periods.

Clotting disorder: leg pain or tenderness, leg swelling, redness or darkening of the skin on the leg, skin that feels warm, trouble breathing, cough, chest pain, and rapid heartbeat and breathing.

That second list deserves emphasis. Leg swelling with pain, or breathlessness with chest pain, can indicate a clot in the leg or lungs. Those are reasons to see a doctor urgently rather than to book a test and wait for the report.

For people on warfarin, MedlinePlus frames it as risk: an INR too low may mean risk of dangerous clots, and too high may mean risk of dangerous bleeding. If the INR is not in range, the provider will probably change the warfarin dose.

Unusually for a blood test, diet moves the number. MedlinePlus lists things that may affect PT/INR results:

• Alcohol
• Foods high in vitamin K, such as green leafy vegetables
• Soybean and canola oils
• High fat diets

It advises asking your provider what you should avoid before the test. The practical advice for anyone on warfarin is consistency rather than avoidance: a sudden large plate of saag or spinach before a test can shift an INR that was otherwise stable.

Tell your provider about all medicines and supplements too, since MedlinePlus notes some affect results.