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Evaluation of perfusion index in pediatric trauma patients
Mehmet Alakaya1, Ali Ertuğ Arslanköylü1
1Department of Pediatric Intensive Care, Mersin University Faculty of Medicine, Mersin-Turkey.
Insights
Perfusion index (PI) measured by pulse oximetry is effective for assessing pediatric trauma patients and correlates with the pediatric trauma score (PTS). Higher PI values indicate better outcomes in trauma care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Critical Care
- Trauma Management
- Non-invasive Monitoring
Background:
- Pediatric trauma requires effective and rapid assessment tools.
- Non-invasive methods are crucial for evaluating critically ill children.
- Perfusion index (PI) is a potential indicator of tissue perfusion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of perfusion index (PI) in pediatric trauma patients.
- To determine the correlation between PI and the pediatric trauma score (PTS).
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of pediatric intensive care unit patients with trauma (March 2017-March 2018).
- Collected data included demographics, injury severity scores (PTS, PIM2, PELOD), trauma characteristics, and physiological parameters.
- Recorded PI at admission, mechanical ventilation, transfusion, hemoglobin, lactate, ICU stay, and prognosis.
Main Results:
- Ninety-one patients were analyzed; most were male (64.8%) and victims of traffic accidents.
- A significant positive correlation was found between PI and PTS (p<0.05).
- Patients with PTS >8 had a higher mean PI (1.77 ± 0.95) compared to those with PTS ≤8 (0.89 ± 0.35), with statistical significance (p=0.000).
Conclusions:
- Perfusion index (PI) is a valuable non-invasive tool for assessing pediatric trauma patients.
- PI can be used independently or combined with the pediatric trauma score (PTS) for rapid evaluation.
- This method aids in the early identification of unstable pediatric trauma cases.
Background:
The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of perfusion index (PI) measured by non-invasive pulse oximetry in the evaluation of pediatric trauma patients and to show its correlation with pediatric trauma score (PTS).
Methods:
Patients hospitalized in the pediatric intensive care unit due to trauma were examined between March 2017 and March 2018. Characteristic variables of the patients, Pediatric Index of Mortality 2 score, Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction score, PTS, type of trauma, number of systems affected by trauma, mechanical ventilation, transfusion, hemoglobin, lactate, PI at admission, length of ICU stay, and prognosis were recorded.
Results:
Ninety-one pediatric trauma patients were included in the study. The majority of the patients were male (64.8%), with a mean age of 99.47±71.27 months, the most common cause of trauma was an out of-vehicle traffic accident. There was a positive correlation between PI and PTS (p<0.05). In patients with PTS TS ≤8, the mean PI was 0.89, the standard deviation was 0.35; however, the mean PI was 1.77, the standard deviation was 0.95 in the group with PTS >8, and it was statistically significant (p=0.000).
Conclusion:
PI can be used for non-invasive and rapid assessment of unstable patients separately or in combination with PTS in pediatric trauma patients.
