Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41214518›Full record

Observational studyBMC emergency medicine2025

Capillary refill time as a bedside perfusion indicator: associations with vital signs and triage acuity in the emergency department: a cross-sectional study.

Zeynep Sofuoglu, Caner Baysan, Seher Palanbek Yavaş, Rezan Karaali, Emine Kılınç, Aysel Başer

Registry-linked trialAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC emergency medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07054151 (Clinical Predictors of Capillary Refill Time and Their Association With Triage Categories From the Emergency Department Perspective), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07054151 completednot on this map

Clinical Predictors of Capillary Refill Time and Their Association With Triage Categories From the Emergency Department Perspective: A Cross-Sectional Study

TypeobservationalSponsorIzmir Democracy UniversityRan2024 to 2024Enrolled313ConditionsTriage, Emergency Medical Services, Vital Signs Monitoring, HypoperfusionArmsNo clinical intervention (observational study only)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Zeynep SofuogluDepartment of Public Health, and Board Member of Emergency, Disaster, Ambulance Physicians' Association, Medical Faculty, Izmir Democracy University, Izmir, Türkiye.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4136-9739
Caner BaysanDepartment of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Türkiye.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7675-1391
Seher Palanbek YavaşDepartment of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Canakkale, Türkiye.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8113-0477
Rezan KaraaliEmergency Department, Medical Faculty, Izmir Democracy University, Izmir, Türkiye.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1831-2566
Emine KılınçEmergency Department, Izmir Buca Seyfi Demirsoy Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Türkiye.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-0150-4669
Aysel BaşerDepartment of Medical Education, Medical Faculty, Izmir Democracy University, Izmir, Türkiye. aysel.baser@idu.edu.tr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8067-0677

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe capillary refill time (CRT) is the time it takes for a capillary bed to regain its color after being subjected to pressure. Capillary refill time (CRT) is a bedside perfusion indicator. We examined CRT across emergency department (ED) triage categories and identified independent correlates of CRT and prolonged CRT (> 2 s).

methodsIn this cross-sectional study (July–September 2024), adults presenting to a tertiary ED were assigned green/yellow/red triage. CRT was measured in triplicate on the index-finger pulp after 10-s blanching and the mean was analyzed. Vital signs (SpO₂, heart rate, systolic/diastolic blood pressure, body temperature, skin temperature at the measurement site, and respiratory rate) were recorded. Associations were assessed using correlation and multivariable regression (overall and stratified by triage).

resultsWe included 313 patients (mean age 55.8 ± 20.9 years; 53.4% female). CRT repeatability was high (ICC = 0.972, 95% Cl). Mean CRT was 2.00 ± 0.94 s and was longer in the red vs. other triage groups (2.36 ± 1.01 s; p < 0.001). In stratified models, green: heart rate (β > 0, p = 0.031) and respiratory rate (β < 0, p < 0.001); yellow: age (β > 0, p = 0.001) and respiratory rate (β > 0, p = 0.039); red: age (β > 0, p = 0.001) and respiratory rate (β > 0, p = 0.026). In the overall model, age and heart rate were positively, and systolic blood pressure negatively, associated with CRT (all p < 0.05).

conclusionCRT varies with ED triage acuity and behaves as a rapid, reproducible bedside perfusion indicator. Age, heart rate, respiratory rate and systolic blood pressure are independent correlates of CRT, supporting its utility in initial assessment. Prospective, multicenter validation and prediction-model performance reporting (AUC, calibration) are warranted. CLINICAL

trial registrationThe present study has been registered with the Clinical Trials Protocol Registration and Results System (ClinicalTrials.gov) under the registration number NCT07054151. The registration date is 26/06/2025.

Indexed as

CapillariesEmergency Service, HospitalPoint-of-Care TestingTriageVital SignsAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHeart RateHumansMaleMiddle AgedTime FactorsCapillary refill timeEmergency department triageEmergency servicesPredictionProlonged capillary refillTriage codesVital signs

Identifiers

PMID41214518
PMCPMC12604390

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.