Pranab Mukherjee Is Haemodynamically Stable; What Does The Term Mean?

In the latest updates on former President Pranab Mukherjee’s condition, we have been hearing that he is Haemodynamically stable. How many of us know what this medical term means? For those who don’t, let us find out.

In simple words, this medical term is used to describe a stable blood flow. If a person is haemodynamically stable, it means that he/she has a stable pumping heart and good circulation of blood, reported The Indian Express (TIE).

The opposite, Haemodynamic instability is any instability in blood pressure which can lead to inadequate blood flow to organs. This is a condition in which the need for physiological and mechanical support arises so that the patient gets adequate cardiac input and output or blood pressure, the report added.

Which are the abnormal haemodynamic parameters?

• Irregularities in heart rate
• Blood pressure, cardiac output, central venous pressure, and pulmonary artery pressure.

What are the signs and symptoms of hemodynamic instability?

• Shortness of breath
• Pulmonary congestion
• Decreased urine output
• Hypotension
• Abnormal heart rate
• Alternative consciousness (restlessness, loss of consciousness, confusion)
• Chest pain.

And the diagnosis?

Clinical examination plays a key role in the diagnosis of haemodynamic instability, reported TIE. This includes respiratory rate, pulse, blood pressure, urine output, organ perfusion, toe-temperature gradient, and capillary refill time. The condition can lead to complications like haemorrhage, thrombosis (a blood clot in a deep vein, usually in the legs), pulmonary embolism (a condition in which one or more arteries in the lungs become blocked by a blood clot) and arterial spasm (a temporary tightening (constriction) of the muscles in the wall of one of the arteries that sends blood to the heart), the report added.

What are the indicators?

Pulse is the first sign to indicate hemodynamic instability.

“Alterations in pulse may provide a first indication that a patient is developing haemodynamic instability. While many factors may influence the pulse rate, including fever, exercise, medications, and thyroid hormone status, a high pulse rate is often a sign of high levels of endogenous catecholamines, blood loss or dehydration,” reported TIE quoting a 2010-study, Clinical Assessment of Hemodynamically Unstable Patients published in National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).

Blood pressure and mean arterial pressure are the other indicators for instability as adequate blood pressure is necessary to regulate blood flow to organs such as the brain and kidney.

Extreme body temperature is also an indicator.

Critically ill patients need to be continuously monitored to avoid complications due to hemodynamic instability, the report added.