Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Pulse transit time shows vascular changes caused by propofol in children

  • Original Research
  • Published:
Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Pulse transit time (PTT) is the time that it takes for the arterial pulse pressure wave to travel from the aortic valve to the periphery. It is a simple noninvasive technique for evaluating vascular changes. This study investigated the vascular changes by propofol during the induction of anesthesia in pediatric patients with the measuring of PTT. Without premedication, 2 mg/kg of propofol was administered intravenously with monitoring of electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmograph (PPG) in 20 pediatric patients aged 3–7 years. The ECG and PPG data were obtained for 1 min before propofol injection (baseline PTT) and 2 min after administration of propofol in the operating room. The PTT was defined as the time interval from the R-wave on the ECG to the maximum upslope of the corresponding PPG. The PTT was calculated off-line after collecting the data. The mean baseline PTT was 166.2 ± 25.9 ms and maximum PTT after propofol injection was 315.9 ± 64.9 ms (the interval between injection and the peak was 17.3 ± 7.6 s). The PTT after the peak changed variously; most of the patients showed no plateau; the PTT decreased progressively after the peak. The PTT after propofol administration prolonged in short time and rapidly recovered toward to the baseline values in pediatric patients. In conclusion, the baseline PTT in children is shorter comparing with adults and the vasodilatory effect of propofol on the vessels as described by the PTT was rapid and the recovery was faster, although the response to propofol was more varied than in adults.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lan YC, Shen CH, Kang HM, Chong FC. Pulse transit time reveals drug kinetics on vascular changes affected by propofol. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Eng. 2012;15(9):949–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Sharwood-Smith G, Bruce J, Drummond G. Assessment of pulse transit time to indicate cardiovascular changes during obstetric spinal anaesthesia. Br J Anaesth. 2006;96(1):100–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Kim SH, Song JG, Park JH, Kim JW, Park YS, Hwang GS. Beat-to-beat tracking of systolic blood pressure using noninvasive pulse transit time during anesthesia induction in hypertensive patients. Anesth Analg. 2013;116(1):94–100.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Kawasaki T, Sasayama S, Yagi S, Asakawa T, Hirai T. Non-invasive assessment of the age related changes in stiffness of major branches of the human arteries. Cardiovasc Res. 1987;21(9):678–87.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Senzaki H, Akagi M, Hishi T, Ishizawa A, Yanagisawa M, Masutani S, Kobayashi T, Awa S. Age-associated changes in arterial elastic properties in children. Eur J Pediatr. 2002;161(10):547–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Gardner AW, Parker DE. Association between arterial compliance and age in participants 9 to 77 years old. Angiology. 2010;61(1):37–41.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Kortekaas MC, Niehof SP, van Velzen MH, Galvin EM, Stolker RJ, Huygen FJ. Comparison of bilateral pulse arrival time before and after induced vasodilation by axillary block. Physiol Meas. 2012;33(12):1993–2002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Claeys MA, Gepts E, Camu F. Haemodynamic changes during anaesthesia induced and maintained with propofol. Br J Anaesth. 1988;60(1):3–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Lepage JY, Pinaud ML, Helias JH, Cozian AY, Le Normand Y, Souron RJ. Left ventricular performance during propofol or methohexital anesthesia: isotopic and invasive cardiac monitoring. Anesth Analg. 1991;73(1):3–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Muzi M, Berens RA, Kampine JP, Ebert TJ. Venodilation contributes to propofol-mediated hypotension in humans. Anesth Analg. 1992;74(6):877–83.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Robinson BJ, Ebert TJ, O’Brien TJ, Colinco MD, Muzi M. Mechanisms whereby propofol mediates peripheral vasodilation in humans. Sympathoinhibition or direct vascular relaxation? Anesthesiology. 1997;86(1):64–72.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Stevanov M, Baruthio J, Eclancher B. Fabrication of elastomer arterial models with specified compliance. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2000;88(4):1291–4.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Schmalgemeier H, Bitter T, Bartsch S, Bullert K, Fischbach T, Eckert S, Horstkotte D, Oldenburg O. Pulse transit time: validation of blood pressure measurement under positive airway pressure ventilation. Sleep Breath. 2012;16(4):1105–12.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Geddes LA, Voelz MH, Babbs CF, Bourland JD, Tacker WA. Pulse transit time as an indicator of arterial blood pressure. Psychophysiology. 1981;18(1):71–4.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Rigouzzo A, Servin F, Constant I. Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of propofol in children. Anesthesiology. 2010;113(2):343–52.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

All the authors don’t have any financial relationship with the organization that sponsored the research.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-744, Korea

    Joo-Eun Kang, In-Kyung Song, Ji-Hyun Lee, Min Hur, Jin-Tae Kim & Hee-Soo Kim

Authors
  1. Joo-Eun Kang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. In-Kyung Song
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ji-Hyun Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Min Hur
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jin-Tae Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Hee-Soo Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hee-Soo Kim.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kang, JE., Song, IK., Lee, JH. et al. Pulse transit time shows vascular changes caused by propofol in children. J Clin Monit Comput 29, 533–537 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10877-015-9680-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10877-015-9680-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation