Peripheral Flow Index for detection of postoperative pain on the PACU

Prospective observational study; The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) is a generally accepted tool to asses pain at the PACU. The tool is subjected to critism for several reasons. How reliable is the VAS when patients are recovering from general anaesthesia or sedation? Acute postoperative pain results in to peripheral vasoconstriction resulting into a direct and sharp decline of the peripheral blood flow. Blood flow can be detected by the peripheral flow index (PFI). PFI is the index of the pulsatile blood component and the static component and is a measured by the pulse oximeter. Study patients are not subjected to experimental therapies and the monitoring of the PFI is already standard clinical practice at the PACU.

A correlation exists between the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) and the Peripheral Flow Index (PFI). The PFI can be applied to objectify and predict postoperative painintensity during recovery on the PACU.

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