Continuous finger-cuff versus intermittent oscillometric arterial pressure monitoring and hypotension during induction of anesthesia and non-cardiac surgery: The DETECT randomized trial

BACKGROUND: Finger-cuff methods allow noninvasive continuous arterial pressure monitoring. This study aimed to determine whether continuous finger-cuff arterial pressure monitoring helps clinicians reduce hypotension within 15 min after starting induction of anesthesia and during noncardiac surgery. Specifically, this study tested the hypotheses that continuous finger-cuff-compared to intermittent oscillometric-arterial pressure monitoring helps clinicians reduce the area under a mean arterial pressure of 65 mmHg within 15 min after starting induction of anesthesia and the time-weighted average mean arterial pressure less than 65 mmHg during noncardiac surgery.

METHODS: In this single-center trial, 242 noncardiac surgery patients were randomized to unblinded continuous finger-cuff arterial pressure monitoring or to intermittent oscillometric arterial pressure monitoring (with blinded continuous finger-cuff arterial pressure monitoring). The first of two hierarchical primary endpoints was the area under a mean arterial pressure of 65 mmHg within 15 min after starting induction of anesthesia; the second primary endpoint was the time-weighted average mean arterial pressure less than 65 mmHg during surgery.

RESULTS: Within 15 min after starting induction of anesthesia, the median (interquartile range) area under a mean arterial pressure of 65 mmHg was 7 (0, 24) mmHg × min in 109 patients assigned to continuous finger-cuff monitoring versus 19 (0.3, 60) mmHg × min in 113 patients assigned to intermittent oscillometric monitoring (P = 0.004; estimated location shift: -6 [95% CI: -15 to -0.3] mmHg × min). During surgery, the median (interquartile range) time-weighted average mean arterial pressure less than 65 mmHg was 0.04 (0, 0.27) mmHg in 112 patients assigned to continuous finger-cuff monitoring and 0.40 (0.03, 1.74) mmHg in 115 patients assigned to intermittent oscillometric monitoring (P < 0.001; estimated location shift: -0.17 [95% CI: -0.41 to -0.05] mmHg).

CONCLUSIONS: Continuous finger-cuff arterial pressure monitoring helps clinicians reduce hypotension within 15 min after starting induction of anesthesia and during noncardiac surgery compared to intermittent oscillometric arterial pressure monitoring.