What are the best methods to assess a child’s circulatory status?
Assessment of a child’s circulatory status should always include appraisal of the following:
- • Skin and mucous membrane color
- • Presence and quality of pulses
- • Capillary refill
- • Heart rate and blood pressure
Always keep in mind that in the instance of acute blood loss, the protective mechanisms of increased heart rate and increased vascular resistance maintain a child’s blood pressure within a normal range in spite of losses as high as 25% of total body blood volume.
