Prediction of Hypotension Using Perfusion Index Following Spinal Anesthesia in Lower Segment Caesarean Section

Spinal anesthesia for caesarean section is invariably associated with variable degree of hypotension. Hypotension that occurs may be detrimental to various organ system due to inadequate perfusion. Various methods and agents have been tried in order to address this problem. However, this calamity is far from over.

Perfusion index is one such attempt to address the problem of hypotension by predicting which group of parturient may develop hypotension. This is a type of non-invasive method of assessing the relative vascular tone with the use of pulse oximeter which calculates the ration of pulsatile versus the non-pulsatile component of the blood flow. During normal physiological changes in pregnancy, there is relative loss of vascular tone which predisposes this group of patient to sudden development of hypotension after the sympathetic block due to spinal anesthesia.

Thus, the aim of the study is to use the non-invasive perfusion index data to predict the occurrence of hypotension in a parturient so that helps us to guide fluid and other drug therapy to address the problem of hypotension.