The skin turgor (associated with

capillary refill Capillary refill time (CRT) is defined as the time taken for color to return to an external capillary bed after pressure is applied to cause blanching. It can be measured by holding a hand higher than heart-level and pressing the soft pad of a ...

ing) is a term used to describe the ability of the

skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different ...

to restore its shape after being deformed. The

dehydration In physiology, dehydration is a lack of total body water that disrupts metabolic processes. It occurs when free water loss exceeds intake, often resulting from excessive sweating, health conditions, or inadequate consumption of water. Mild deh ...

reduces the skin elasticity and causes lower skin turgor, one of the signs of

in humans. The skin turgor test is conducted by pinching the skin on the patient's body, in a location such as the forearm or the back of the hand, and watching to see how quickly it returns to its normal position, low turgor causes the skin to "tent". The skin turgor test can be unreliable in patients who have reduced skin elasticity, such as the elderly. The test results are expressed as time it takes for the skin to return to the original shape. Special tools to deflect the skin have been introduced to improve the accuracy of the skin turgor test.

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* * * Dehydration Symptoms and signs {{medical-stub