ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Pulsatility index

Well kiddo, pulsatility index is something that doctors use to check how well your heart is working. You know how your heart beats, right? It's like a pump that moves blood throughout your body. Well, when your heart beats, it makes a pulse or a little push of blood. Pulsatility index is a way to measure how strong those pulses are.

Think of it like blowing up a balloon. When you blow up a balloon, you feel the balloon getting bigger and bigger as your breath fills it up. When you let go of the balloon, it makes a little burst of air as all the air inside rushes out. That's like your heart beating. Pulsatility index measures how much the balloon shrinks with each burst of air.

Doctors use pulsatility index to see how well blood is flowing through your body. If the pulsatility index is too high, it could mean that your heart is having trouble pushing blood around. That's not good! But if the pulsatility index is just right, it means your heart is working just the way it should be. So, pulsatility index is an important way for doctors to make sure your heart is healthy.