ROLE OF PERFUSION INDEX AS A TOOL FOR ACUTE POST-OPERATIVE PAIN ASSESSMENT IN LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY

Abstract

Introduction: Acute post-operative pain can remain untreated if patients cannot express themselves. A painful stimulus can produce vasoconstriction and a decrease in perfusion index (PI). The perfusion index may decrease when pain activates sympathetic tone & may increase after analgesics are administered. The visual analog scale (VAS) is the most common pain assessment scale. However, it is affected by psychometric instability. This study was designed to evaluate the correlation between VAS as a subjective indicator of pain and Pl as an objective indicator of pain.

Methods: At the post-anesthesia care unit, the perfusion index was checked to 62 adult patients of ASA-I who underwent laparoscopic surgery. At the time of the first request for analgesia (T1) VAS was recorded together with the PI, heart rate (HR), Mean Arterial Blood Pressure (MAP), peripheral oxygen saturation and following which analgesia was given. Thirty minutes thereafter, (T2) second measurements for the mentioned parameters were taken.

Results: The PI was significantly higher at T2 than at T1 (mean increase % = 92.2% vs 80.9%) This increase was assoc1ated with a statistically significant decrease in VAS, HR, and MAP. A decrease in VAS was associated with an increase in PI, but the correlation was not statistically significant as the degree of the increase in PI in relation to the decrease in VAS was variable among patients.

Conclusion: PI can be added to other indicators of pain assessment in the post-anesthesia care unit.