How to correct a critical (high) INR?

Pt had a critical lab value of INR... 5.4 I believe. Does a bolus of NS help decrease this value? If not, what is usually ordered?

Thanks.
No, vitamin K.

What would normal saline do to decrease the INR? What is the INR a measurement of? If you can answer that, you should be able to answer whether or not Normal Saline would help. Is the patient on anti-coagulant therapy? If so, which one? Vitamin K and/or FFP transfusions are the treatments I've seen ordered in the past.

Eeeek. This is something serious and very basic you gotta know.

Undoubtedly a homework question, and I would have liked to have seen the OP think this through more carefully.

Lol, I just woke up and I was thinking how the doctor ordered a bolus right after I told her about the critical INR. Sorry, I also forgot to say that the pt's BP was low in the 90s/50s >_<

As others have said on this site, don't think of a high INR as super "thin" blood. It is over anticoagulated blood. Let us presume that the INR is high R/T warfarin use. How does warfarin cause anticoagulation...i.e. what is warfarin's mechanism of action? As such, how do you think we would reverse this action?

Quote from nurs1ngLol, I just woke up and I was thinking how the doctor ordered a bolus right after I told her about the critical INR. Sorry, I also forgot to say that the pt's BP was low in the 90s/50s >_<

FFP (fresh frozen plasma) transfusions will get the INR down to ~1.5, vitamin K will lower it even further, but it takes longer. The MD probably ordered normal saline to tank up your patient with a marginal blood pressure. I can see how that would be confusing, no worries.

And don't be afraid to ask the question--OK, a bolus for pt's BP, what are we going to do about the INR? Be mindful as to what the goal of the INR is-- 2-3 is a GENERAL guideline for a theraputic level, but it CAN be lower than that. Depends. Anti-coagulation is serious stuff, so read up on it. And be sure to get an order to hold the anti-coag med for the next dose if that is what the MD wants to do....

You must must must know the antidotes for coumadin and heparin.