Resuscitation
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Observational Study
Capillary Refill Time as Part of an Early Warning Score for Rapid Response Team Activation is an Independent Predictor of Outcomes.
Capillary refill time (CRT) is easy, quick to perform and when prolonged in critical illness, correlates with progression of organ failure and mortality. It is utilized in our hospital's early warning score (EWS) as one of 11 parameters. We sought to define CRT's value in predicting patient outcomes, compared to the remaining EWS elements. ⋯ This is the first time CRT has been evaluated in RRT patients. Its measurement is easy to perform and proves useful as an assessment of adult patients at-risk for clinical decline. Its prolongation in our population was an independent predictor of mortality and the combined outcome. This study and others suggest that CRT should be considered further as a fundamental assessment of patients at-risk for clinical decline.