Importance of Integrated Pulmonary Index in Pediatric Bronchoscopy

Bronchoscopy is a procedure that is frequently applied in diagnostic or interventional conditions like hemoptysis, tracheobronchial stenosis, malignancy, recurrent lung infections, etc. It is routinely performed under general anesthesia or sedation in pediatric cases. In our clinic, we routinely perform diagnostic or interventional pediatric bronchoscopy procedures with an anesthesia team outside the operating room under monitored anesthetic care (MAC). Routine monitoring of MAC consists of electrocardiography (ECG), non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP), and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2). These monitorizations are described as minimum in many practice guidelines, and sometimes monitors such as end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2), body temperature, analgesia/nociception index (ANI) can be added to them.

Integrated Pulmonary Index (IPI) is a tool that provides numerical values on a scale of 1-10 based on physiological parameters such as peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2), pulse rate, respiratory rate, end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2).(1,2) When these parameters exceed physiological limits, patients require interventions consisting of various maneuvers or drug administration in order to maintain the normal functioning of the cardiorespiratory system. If we look at the scoring, a score of 8-10 is considered normal, a score of 5-7 indicates a situation that may require intervention, and a score of 1-4 indicates that the patient needs intervention.

The above-mentioned IPI is a relatively new tool, and there is limited data in the literature regarding its usability in patients undergoing interventional procedures under MAC.(3,4) In this study, we wanted to evaluate the safety of IPI in cases of pediatric bronchoscopy performed under sedation. Routine monitoring and drug applications for the procedure will be in accordance with the institutional protocols, and additional IPI monitoring will be performed. Our outcome measure will be the correlation of IPI values with standard monitoring parameters.