This document summarizes key aspects of circulatory assessment for different age groups. It includes typical ranges for heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, capillary refill time, skin color and conditions that can cause abnormalities. Age-specific guidelines are provided for heart rate during wake/sleep, locations to take pulses, and normal urine output.

1. Circulatory
assessment

2. Heart rate
Age Awake rate Mean Sleeping rate
Newborn to
3 months
85 to 205 140 80-160
3 months to
2 years
100-190 130 75-160
2 years to
10 years
60-140 80 60-90
> 10 years 60-100 75 50-90

3. Central pulses Peripheral pulses
 Femoral
 Brachial ( in
infant)
 Apical ( newborn)
 Carotid ( in older
children)
 Axillary
 Radial
 Dorsalis pedis
 Posterior tibial

4. Capillary refill time
Normal Prolonged
 <= 2 seconds > 2 seconds
 Causes:
 Low CO
 Dehydration
 shock
 Hypothermia.

5. Skin colour
Pallor:
Mottling
Cyanosi
s
 Decreased blood supply to skin .
1. Cold stress, shock, anemia, decreased
pigmentation)
Patchy discoloration of skin
Normal /hypovolemia, hypoxia, shock.
Acrocyanosis ( hands and feet) , common in
newborn
Central cyanosis ( low o2 in environment,
pneumonia, asthma, CHD. Hypoventilation.
Pe peripheral cyanosis: hands and feet beyond
newborn period. ( CHF, shock, peripheral
vascular disease.)

6. Pallor Mottled skin
cyanosis

7. AGE HEART
RATE(beats/min)
RESPIRATORY
RATE
(Breaths/min)
BLOOD
PRESSURE
(mm of Hg)
Newborn 120 - 160 30 - 60
Infant 80 - 150 25 - 55
Toddler 70 - 120 20 -30
Pre-School 65 -110 20-25
School 60 - 100 14-22
Adolecent 55 - 95 12-18
Systolic
bp
Diastoli
c bp
60-80 25-40
72-104 37-56
86-106 42-63
89-112 46-72
97-115 57-76
110-
131
64-83

8. Blood pressure

9. Urine output