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Fred L. Recipient

What is P. I. reading ?

Thu, 10/06/2016 - 1:04PM
I keep getting low flow alarms in the morning and after a couple doctor visits where they seem to guessing, the say that my PI is too high at that time. What is it and what can I do about it ?
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tom s.

Tue, 11/08/2016 - 8:50PM
pulse index can be related to how hydrated you are, a high PI would mean you have fluid on you and may need diuretics. Do you wake up with swollen ankles?
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Fred L.

Mon, 01/23/2017 - 1:18PM
I have never had swollen ankles. That's why I was misdiagnosed for so long. Swelling in my neck went unnoticed.
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Deborah G.

Tue, 04/11/2017 - 9:11AM
This is an interesting topic. Doctors say that your PI is too high but they say nothing about the real reasons why is it happening. I was there before so I do understand your frustration. As a student I order dissertation about health from dissertation help services and I find it really useful and helpful to learn more about human health, especially about things your doctor would not tell you.
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Kathy M.

Thu, 11/15/2018 - 7:32AM

My husband had an LVAD placed in June.  Many bumps along the road.  The last couple of days there have been low flow alarms and high pi #’s.  I called the coordinator and was told he was probably dehydrated, so we pushed fluid.  Now I fear that there is fluid overload.  Diuretics were stopped earlier this week  due to the dehydration.  We have a dr appt tomorrow, hopefully there will be answers.  Anyway else experience this?

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Dakota L.

Wed, 11/28/2018 - 4:46AM

My PI was also high. The doctor prescribed me pills and it normalized the rate of PI. According to Healthcare Ethics, I can't reveal the names of pills on public but you can contact me directly and I'll tell you. 

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Rob S.

Wed, 01/02/2019 - 12:57AM

 

I saw your post and had a question. I have had the LVAD since 10/11/18. So this is all new to me. Over the past 24 hours I have had 3 low flow alarms. From what I have noticed, at least with my experience so far, is that if my PI is high then my flow is reading low. Since you mentioned you were prescribed medication to lower PI, what is your flow level around. Can I ask you what medication you are on. I have an appointment with my LVAD team tomorrow. Hopefully we can get this figured out and I just wanted to run any and all info by them. When I spoke to them today they said to take in more fluids and since the alarm went off while I was sleeping last night it is less concerning then if I was awake. I don't know what to think because if your flow is low they say to drink, if PI is high you have too much fluid, then why do I have a high PI and Low Flow at the same time. Again, thank you for any info or insight you might have. I'm just trying to ask my team the right questions so I can get the right answers. Thanks so much.

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Ellen E.

Wed, 05/31/2023 - 10:21PM

Dakota,    I am interested in understanding how you dealt with your high PI.  My husband's Heartmate 3 LVAD was implanted just under a month ago.  He is still in the hospital, about to be sent to rehab.  He is dealing with spikes in his PI, as high as 12, usually accompanied by a low flow event.  He gets very dizzy and has passed out a couple of times.

How can I find out what medication you were prescribed?  Thank you for any insight you can provide.