{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.024580335731414868, 'fraction_numerical': 0.008992805755395683, 'mean_word_length': 4.918439716312057, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Use of peripheral perfusion index (PI) as a predictor of cardiovascular complications in hospitalised Covid 19 patients - A pilot study

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.
 
Materials and Methods: 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.
 
Results: 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: 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.