BRISK CAPILLARY REFILL MANUAL
BRISK CAPILLARY REFILL SKIN

This is a descriptive study of all available babies during the study period. The time was recorded by the same stopwatch and measured in tenths of a second. Estimation of the size for gestational age (AGA, LGA, SGA) was based on standard infant weight at birth charts used in Tygerberg Hospital.ДЄll the measurements were carried out by two independent observers (KS and JR), but every baby was assessed by only one observer. All preterms weighing under 1800 g were nursed in incubators. The incubators and radiant warmers were servo controlled to maintain the temperature at 36.6вЊ. Incubators (Isolette) and radiant warmers (AMA) with servo controlled temperature were used.ДЄll babies were examined in well lit rooms with a controlled, stable, ambient temperature of 23вЊ В± 1вЊ. If for any reasons the measurement had to be repeated, a period of 30 seconds was allowed before the next attempt. The CRT on each baby was then measured starting at the head, then the chest, followed by the palm and the heel. The patients were assessed lying supine in an incubator, radiant warmer, or crib.

BRISK CAPILLARY REFILL SKIN

When skin colour returned to baseline the stopwatch was inactivated. At the end of 5 seconds the pressure was released. CRT was measured in every patient by the simultaneous activation of the stopwatch and the application of minimal pressure until the skin blanched. Measurements were performed by applying minimal pressure (defined as the pressure which produced blanching) with the examinerвЂ™s thumb. Informed consent was obtained from a parent of each infant included in the study.ДЇor the purpose of this study, capillary refilling time was measured in four body areas: midpoint of the sternum midpoint of the forehead palm of the hand and plantar surface of the heel (in this study-chest, head, palm and heel, respectively). Neonates who presented with cold extremities immediately before the measurement, and those with any clinically definable abnormality, were excluded. For at least 2 hours before the survey the baby was kept in one of the following: incubator radiant warmer crib or under phototherapy lights. Only healthy neonates 1 to 7 days old, with an axillary body temperature documented and observed to be between 36вЂ“ 37вЊ before and after the test, and who were clinically healthy with normal observations for the preceding 24 hours, were included. The study was performed in Tygerberg Hospital in two neonatal nurseries (one each for preterm and term neonates) between January and September 1994. CRT values of the midpoints of the sternum and the forehead are the most consistent. NurseryД¬ontainers, phototherapy, and observers produced significantly different results, but the differences were not clinically important. No difference was found between sex, birthweight, gestational age and size for gestational age.Д¬ONCLUSIONS The upper limit of normal for neonatal CRT was 3 seconds. Significant differences were found between different nursery containers, receivers, and non-receivers of phototherapy and between observers. The mean value of chest CRT was always longer than the head CRT for all parameters. The mean values and standard deviation of CRT in all tested nursery containers, including phototherapy for the chest, ranged from 1.82 (0.34) seconds to 2.01 (0.423) seconds, and for the head from 1.59 (0.36) seconds to 1.83 (0.31) seconds. RESULTS Only the chest and the head distribution curves followed the Gaussian curve.

BRISK CAPILLARY REFILL MANUAL

CRT was measured with a manual stopwatch. CRT was measured in four of the most suitable sites-namely, midpoints of the sternum and the forehead, the palm of the hand and the plantar surface of the heel (defined as chest, head, palm and heel, respectively). METHODS Healthy neonates (n = 469) of different gestational ages and different sizes for gestational age, were studied 1 to 7 days after birth. AIM To assess the normal values of capillary refilling time (CRT) in healthy newborn babies to assess the effect of different nursery containers (incubator, radiant warmer, crib), phototherapy, birthweight, gestational age, size for gestational age and sex on CRT to compare CRT at different body sites as well as to assess the variation between observers.

Brisk capillary refill