Translating best practices in assessing capillary refill.

Area of Science:

• Clinical Nursing Practice
• Patient Assessment
• Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

• A systematic review evaluated empirical and clinical evidence for capillary refill assessment.
• Current practices in an acute care hospital were examined.

Purpose of the Study:

• Determine the strength, usefulness, and feasibility of capillary refill assessment.
• Inform the development of a best-practice guideline for peripheral perfusion evaluation.

Main Methods:

• A research roundtable was convened in a US urban community hospital.
• Empirical and clinical evidence from a systematic review was assessed.
• Current hospital practices and policies were reviewed.

Main Results:

• Isolated capillary refill assessment demonstrates limited clinical value.
• No current nursing interventions exclusively rely on capillary refill measurement.

Conclusions:

• Capillary refill assessment alone is insufficient for clinical decision-making.
• Future research should focus on comparative analyses of alternative peripheral perfusion assessment methods.