When managing a patient on warfarin with a high INR, what is an immediate intervention?

Administering vitamin K is the immediate intervention when managing a patient on warfarin with a high INR (International Normalized Ratio). Warfarin is an anticoagulant medication, and an elevated INR indicates a higher risk of bleeding due to its anticoagulant effects. Vitamin K acts as an antidote to warfarin, helping to reverse its effects and restore normal coagulation.

When a patient presents with a significantly high INR, particularly values above the therapeutic range, administering vitamin K can provide a swift correction of the INR and mitigate the risk of bleeding complications. This intervention is especially crucial in emergency situations where the patient may be experiencing or at risk of bleeding.

Other interventions, such as initiation of additional anticoagulants or decreasing the warfarin dosage, would not address the immediate safety concern of a high INR effectively. Performing a coagulation test would also not provide an immediate solution; rather, it would be a part of monitoring but does not contribute to the urgent management of the situation.