Capillary Refill Time
November 28th, 2019
Overview
Capillary refill time is a marker of perfusion, and prolonged refill time suggests poor perfusion of the area being examined.
How to Elicit
- Apply pressure to the nail bed until it blanches, release and measure the time taken for colour to return.
Abnormal If
- >2 seconds
Causes of Prolonged Capillary Refill Time
- Shock
- Dehydration
- Decreased peripheral perfusion
Note
- Capillary refill time (CRT) is a useful test in children, though has little clinical utility in adults due to its variability with age, sex, ambient temperature among many other factors.
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