Use of peripheral perfusion index (PI) as a predictor of cardiovascular complications in hospitalised Covid 19 patients-A pilot study

ABSTRACT

Introduction and Aim: Cardiovascular complications have been associated with fatality in Covid-19 patients. Reduced peripheral perfusion is a marker for cardiovascular dysfunction. Peripheral Perfusion Index (PI) is a non-invasive measure of microvascular perfusion with regards to pulsatile arterial blood flow. The study was aimed at finding the utility of PI as a hemodynamic marker in Covid-19. Material(s) and Method(s) Observational study done on 58 hospitalised adult Covid-19 patients over a span of 6 days. Each day the hemodynamic parameters such as pulse rate, SpO2 and Peripheral Perfusion Index (PI) were measured using a finger pulse oximeter. Peripheral Blood pressure was measured using automated BP apparatus. Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) and pulse pressure (PP) was calculated. Result(s) Correlation between PI and other parameters checked using Pearson's test. There was significant positive correlation between PI and PP in day wise analysis during first 2 days with linear regression showing PP can be predicted as a dependant function from PI. This shows the association between PI and systemic cardiovascular function. Conclusion(s) PI is a useful measure of peripheral microvascular perfusion and relates to systemic PP. It can be predicted from the results that PI can act as a reliable guide to predict the cardiovascular condition of the patient. As PI is measured from finger pulse oximeter, it is a non-invasive and easy-to-record method, which can be used by untrained personnel in Covid-19 patients. Copyright © 2022, Indian Association of Biomedical Scientists. All rights reserved.