Vitamin K is a treatment for oral-anticoagulant-induced hypoprothrombinemia, but it has been known to cause severe side effects, especially when administered intravenously. The appropriate dose can vary greatly depending on whether bleeding is either present or imminent in a patient. To ensure appropriate dosing and prevent an adverse drug event (ADE), use dosing guidelines or pre-printed orders for all Vitamin K administration. If your organization has a computerized prescriber order entry system, make your Vitamin K standing order set part of the system to alert prescribers.
Tips
- Use Vitamin K administration as a trigger or clue that an anticoagulant-related ADE may have occurred.
