What is the recommended action for patients on warfarin prior to surgery?

For patients on warfarin who are preparing for surgery, the recommended action often involves reversing the anticoagulation effects of warfarin to reduce the risk of excessive bleeding during the procedure. Administering fresh frozen plasma (FFP) is a method of achieving this reversal because it contains clotting factors that can help restore normal coagulation in patients whose warfarin effects need to be quickly counteracted.

FFP is particularly beneficial in scenarios where immediate reversal is necessary, such as when an urgent surgical procedure is planned and the patient has not had sufficient processing time to restore normal coagulation through other means, such as adjusting the warfarin dosage or waiting for the drug's effects to diminish naturally. By providing a source of clotting factors, FFP helps mitigate the bleeding risk and ensures a safer surgical environment for the patient.

In contrast, increasing the dosage of warfarin or maintaining the normal dosage would not be advisable in this context, as these actions would not effectively address the bleeding risk. Finally, stopping warfarin immediately without any compensatory measure could leave the patient in a sub-therapeutic state, potentially leading to clot formation not adequately monitored or controlled. Thus, the use of FFP is critical in optimizing patient safety