It usually takes from 24 to 72 hours for healthy people to completely digest food and eliminate waste products. The first stop for food is the esophagus, which moves food from the back of the throat to the stomach. About six to eight hours after eating, food passes through the stomach and small intestine.
Prothrombin time (PT) is a blood test that measures how long it takes blood to clot. A prothrombin time test can be used to check for bleeding problems. PT is also used to check whether medicine to prevent blood clots is working. A PT test may also be called an INR test.
International Normalized Ratio (INR) is the blood test used to monitor the thinness or thickness of your blood. If you take warfarin, your doctor will monitor your INR level at least once a month to make sure you have the proper amount of blood thinner in the body. If INR levels are too low, you are not being protected from blood clots. When the levels are too high, you are protected from blood clots but you are at risk of bleeding. Talk to your doctor about ways to help manage the proper amount of warfarin you are taking.