Relationship between nurses' assessments of perfusion and toe temperature in pediatric patients with cardiovascular disease.

This descriptive study reports on 17 children who had undergone open-heart surgery. The children were assessed for 6 hours after surgery and once at 18 hours after operation to determine relationship between two scales assessing peripheral perfusion and the temperature of the great toe. There were 119 individual assessments. The scales used to assess the quality of peripheral pulses, extremity warmth, and capillary refill were (1) those representative of assessment scales used in common nursing practice and (2) more specific scales that attempt to "quantify" the qualitative assessment of peripheral perfusion. The more specific set of scales was used by "trained observers," with the bedside nurse using the nurses' scales. Results demonstrated that both sets of scales and observers were accurate in assessing peripheral perfusion as measured by the actual toe temperature. Analyses revealed which scales were better than others, and a method of assessing peripheral perfusion that includes the best components of all scales is suggested.