Perfusion Index as a Predictor of Hypotension Following Sub-arachnoid Block Among Patients Undergoing Lower Segment Caesarean Section

May 27, 2025 updated by: Muhammad Haroon Anwar
C-section is one of the commonly performed surgical procedures. During this surgical procedure the surgeon cuts into uterine cavity through abdominal wall and takes out the baby. This is done by by making the lower half body of the patient numb by injecting local anesthesia drugs into the space surrounding the spinal cord. This allows the mother to remain awake and immediately bond with the baby once it gets delivered. Also this technique provides effective pain relief both during and after the surgery. However like any other technique or drug it is associated with a number of side effects. The most important being fall in blood pressure. There are numerous ways to treat it. However if one is able to predict fall in blood pressure before administration of anesthetic technique one can easily prevent it. One of the recently discovered novel way to predict fall in blood pressure is Perfusion index which is calculated by Pulse oximeter. It is a device use to check amount of oxygen in blood and heart rate. Perfusion index refers to the total amount of blood present in the limbs of the person. Once we administer drug in the space surrounding the spinal cord the amount of blood in the limbs increases while the amount returning to heart decreases which ultimately results in less amount of blood being pumped out by heart resulting in fall in blood pressure. Therefore theoretically those individuals who have a high baseline Perfusion index will more likely to develop low blood pressure. This study aims to identify the cut off value of perfusion index to predict fall in blood pressure.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Detailed Description

Spinal anesthesia is employed to provide excellent surgical conditions in case of C-Section. It is the anesthetic technique of choice among obstetric patients. However it is associated with sympathectomy which reduces the venous return and ultimately causes hypotension. This hypotension is mainly due to redistribution of blood volume to the peripheral compartment. Perfusion index which is measured by Pulse Oximetery is a ratio of pulsatile to non-pulsatile blood in the peripheral compartment of the body. As spinal anesthesia causes sympathectomy, peripheral blood volume increases. As a result perfusion index value should rise. This will then co-relate with hypotension. In simple terms those individuals who have a high baseline Perfusion index value will more likely to develop hypotension. This study aims to identify the baseline perfusion index value which co-relates with development of hypotension following sub-arachnoid block for C-section.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
90

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Federal
      • Islamabad, Federal, Pakistan, 44000
        • Deparment of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

N/A

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Pregnant females undergoing elective lower segment caesarean section under spinal anesthesia at Pakistan Institute of Medical sciences will be enrolled in the study.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • ASA class II and III
  • Elective LSCS under sub-arachnoid block
  • Age 18-35 years

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
  • Autonomic neuropathy
  • Fetal distress
  • NPO >8h
  • Lack of maintenance fluid or oral clear fluid intake during NPO period.
  • BMI > 35 kg/m2
  • Patients requiring Vasopressor and Ionotropic support.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Low Perfusion index
Pregnant patients having baseline perfusion index less than 3.5 will be enrolled into this group.
High Perfusion index
Pregnant patients having baseline perfusion index ≥ 3.5 will be enrolled into this group.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incidence of hypotension
Time Frame: Intra-operative peroid
Number of episodes of hypotension among both groups will be compared.
Intra-operative peroid

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Baseline perfusion index as a predictor of hypotension
Time Frame: Intra operative peroid
Sensitivity and specificity of baseline perfusion index to predict intra-operative hypotension following sub-arachnoid block
Intra operative peroid

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Muhammad Haroon Anwar

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Muhammad Haroon Anwar, MBBS, Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad

Publications and helpful links

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General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 27, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 30, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 19, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 19, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 23, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 28, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 27, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • F-5-2/2024(ERRB)/PIMS

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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