Clinical pediatrics
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Clinical pediatrics · Mar 1999
Capillary refill time in the hands and feet of normal newborn infants.
We measured capillary refill time (CRT) in a convenience sample of 137 healthy newborns between 1 and 120 hours of age and 36-42 weeks gestation in the well-baby nursery of a large community hospital. CRT was measured by applying moderate pressure to the dorsum of the right hand and right foot for 5 seconds. Pressure was released and the time for complete refilling of the blanched area noted. ⋯ It is influenced significantly by environmental, axillary, and skin temperatures. Since there is no accepted standard for measuring decreased perfusion in the newborn, it is impossible to document the clinical utility of CRT in this population. Further studies are necessary before CRT can be accepted as a useful measure of peripheral perfusion and circulatory status in the newborn infant.