Using photoplethysmography data to estimate heart rate variability and its association with organ dysfunction in...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Pediatric Oncology
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Pediatric oncology patients face high risks of clinical deterioration and organ dysfunction.
• Heart rate variability (HRV) is a known indicator of organ dysfunction in intensive care unit (ICU) settings.
• Electrocardiography (ECG) is the traditional method for HRV measurement, but its availability can be limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of using photoplethysmography (PPG)-derived integer pulse rate variability (PRVi) as a surrogate for HRV.
• To determine the association between PRVi and organ dysfunction in pediatric oncology patients on wards and in the ICU.
• To explore the potential of PPG-based PRVi as a widely accessible monitoring tool.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 38 pediatric oncology patients was studied.
• Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors were used to derive integer pulse rate variability (PRVi).
• Statistical analysis was performed to correlate daily median PRVi with pediatric organ dysfunction scores, adjusting for confounders.

Main Results:

• Reduced median daily PRVi was significantly associated with an increased score in two pediatric organ dysfunction measures (p < 0.001).
• This association remained significant after adjusting for potential confounding factors.
• The findings suggest PRVi can reflect the severity of organ dysfunction in this patient population.

Conclusions:

• Integer pulse rate variability (PRVi) derived from photoplethysmography (PPG) shows promise as a feasible and accessible real-time physiologic marker.
• PRVi is associated with organ dysfunction in pediatric oncology patients, indicating its potential for early detection of clinical deterioration.
• Further research is warranted to validate PRVi as a standard monitoring tool in pediatric care.