The key role of pulse wave transit time to predict blood pressure variation during anaesthesia induction

OBJECTIVE: To establish the relationship between pulse wave transit time (PWTT) before anaesthesia induction and blood pressure variability (BPV) during anaesthesia induction. METHODS: This prospective observational cohort study enrolled consecutive patients that underwent elective surgery. Invasive arterial pressure, electrocardiography, pulse oximetry, heart rate and bispectral index were monitored. PWTT and BPV were measured with special software. Anaesthesia was induced with propofol, sufentanil and rocuronium. RESULTS: A total of 54 patients were included in this study. There was no correlation between BPV and the dose of propofol, sufentanil and rocuronium during anaesthesia induction. Bivariate linear regression analysis demonstrated that PWTT (r = –0.54), age (r = 0.34) and systolic blood pressure (r = 0.31) significantly correlated with systolic blood pressure variability (SBPV). Only PWTT (r = –0.38) was significantly correlated with diastolic blood pressure variability (DBPV). Patients were stratified into high PWTT and low PWTT groups according to the mean PWTT value (96.8 ± 17.2 ms). Compared with the high PWTT group, the SBPV of the low PWTT group increased significantly by 3.4%. The DBPV of the low PWTT group increased significantly by 2.1% compared with the high PWTT group. CONCLUSIONS: PWTT, assessed before anaesthesia induction, may be an effective predictor of haemodynamic fluctuations during anaesthesia induction.