Heart period variability in trauma patients may predict mortality and allow remote triage.
Abstract
The high frequency to low frequency ratio (HF/LF) derived from analysis of heart period variability is elevated and associated with mortality in severely injured patients monitored in a hospital. The purpose of this study was to test the utility of heart period variability measurements as indicators of injury severity in patients prior to definitive medical intervention. We tested the hypothesis that survival is associated with low relative HF/LF, and death is associated with high relative HF/LF.
