Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2025
Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy: Getting the Capillary Refill Test Under One's Thumb
Published on: December 2, 2017
Capillary refill for the assessment of circulatory dysfunction in sepsis: A scoping review
Robert L Cloutier1, Jessica Bailey1, Matthew Hansen1
1Department of Emergency Medicine Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States of America.
Background:
Sepsis remains a significant and difficult diagnosis in US Emergency Departments and Intensive Care Units.
Objective:
The objective of this scoping review was to understand the state of the literature regarding the performance of Capillary Refill Time [CRT] as a method to assess circulatory dysfunction in sepsis.
Design:
This study followed PRISMA Guidelines for Scoping Reviews. Included studies used CRT as a physical exam finding 'measuring the time of return of color to a blanched nailbed' and was limited to Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit settings. Our search used OVID Medline from 1946 through December of 2022 and resulted in 800 articles that led to 13 being included in the final analysis. Included studies were appraised using the Newcastle Ottawa Score.
Results:
Overall, the strength of the evidence across the 13 final studies was moderate. Studies suffered from numerous methodological shortcomings, and reproducibility in how they measured capillary refill.
Conclusion:
Capillary refill has the potential to assist in the assessment of circulatory dysfunction in sepsis; however, emerging technologies making bedside measurement more reproducible and reliable must be further developed and studied in prospective randomized control trials powered to predict meaningful patient outcomes.
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