The Effect of Patient Position on Perfusion Index

Introduction: Positioning patients safely for surgical procedures is a routine intraoperative responsibility and facilitating positive patient outcomes is an expected standard of professional care. Measuring peripheral perfusion index (PPI) during the different surgical positions to assess the influence of body position on perfusion index is the focus of this study. Patients and method: It is a prospective observational study involved 80 patients. The participants were patients for different elective surgeries. Each participant was taken to the recovery room, the environmental temperature was ensured to be from (22-23°C) during the whole session and for each one. For each participants PI, blood pressure, pulse rate, and SpO2 were measured for each of the four surgical positions: supine, sitting, prone, and lithotomy. The probe of oximeter was put in the middle finger for all participants. All the measurements were taken by the researcher. Results: PI was significantly lower in sitting and prone position in comparison to supine position (P=<0.001 respectively). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure was significantly higher in supine position than sitting position (P=<0,001, and 0,024 respectively). Pulse rate was significantly lower in supine position than sitting and prone position (P=<0.001 respectively). SpO2 showed no significant differences among the different surgical positions. Conclusion: Surgical patient position affects perfusion index. Blood pressure and pulse rate affected by surgical patient position, usually due to compensatory response (reduction in venous return or venous compression).