ToolsCalculators
Pulmonary Artery Pulsatility Index (PAPi)
Assesses right ventricular dysfunction risk from right heart catheterisation pressures.
Pulmonary Artery Pulsatility Index (PAPi)
Pulmonary artery systolic pressure
mmHg
Pulmonary artery diastolic pressure
mmHg
Right atrial pressure
mmHg
Complete the fields above to see the result.
When to use
- Assessing right ventricular function from right heart catheterisation data, e.g. in inferior STEMI, cardiogenic shock, or before mechanical circulatory support/LVAD implantation.
Formula
PAPi = (pulmonary artery systolic pressure - pulmonary artery diastolic pressure) / right atrial pressure.
Pearls and pitfalls
- Originally described in acute inferior myocardial infarction, where PAPi <1.85 identified severe right ventricular dysfunction.
- Lower cut-offs (around 1.0) are more commonly used in cardiogenic shock and mechanical circulatory support populations; the appropriate threshold is population-dependent.