Abstract
Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) profiles follow circadian rhythm and day-to-day variations. It has been established that cardiovascular parameters decreased in sleep with the lowering of physical and mental activity. Sleeping has a profound effect on the fluctuation of BP and HR rhythms. To compare the circadian variation of BP and HR between comatose and non-comatose patients, around-the-clock cardiovascular parameter measurements were obtained from 22 patients receiving care in intensive care units (ICU). Cosinor and Student’s t-test were used as statistical tools to test inter-group differences in the obtained time series. A statistically significant group circadian rhythm (p < 0.05) was detected for each studied parameter. However, in the present study, we noticed disturbed profiles, which are more pronounced in non-comatose patients. These results provide evidence for a pronounced disturbance of the physiological temporal organization in ICU patients. The relative contribution of the use of drugs, certain medication and/or brain injury, however, is a point of future investigation.
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