A respiratory therapist is asked to rapidly assess adequacy of peripheral circulation while an intravenous line is placed. Which of the following methods should the therapist use?

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Assessing capillary refill is a quick and specific method of checking the adequacy of peripheral circulation. One method of determining capillary refill is to depress the patient's thumb nail with moderate force. This will cause the underlying tissue to blanch (turn white or pale pink) by forcing blood from the tissue. Releasing the pressure allows blood to refill the tissue's capillaries. Normal capillary refill time is less than 2 seconds. Inadequate capillary refill on initial assessment may be caused by regional perfusion problems. To rule out this possibility, repeat the capillary refill test on the opposite hand.

A Respiratory Therapist Is Asked to Rapidly Assess Adequacy of Peripheral