Two ischemic stroke cases occuring despite high inr levels

Warfarin is a vitamin K antagonist commonly used in the treatment and prevention of thromboembolic cases worldwide. Its therapeutic range is narrow and is followed by the international normalized ratio (INR). Ischemic conditions are observed at low INR levels whereas bleeding is seen at higher INR levels. A 45-year-old woman and a 79-year-old man using warfarin were admitted to the emergency department with a neurological deficit. Ischemic stroke was revealed via radiological imaging in both patients. However, INR levels were significantly higher in laboratory tests (11.44 and 12.37 kU / L).Ischemic stroke occurred although bleeding is normally expected at such high INR levels. Contrary to many studies published in the literature, this case report revealed interesting information in terms of its conclusions.