Compensatory reserve and pulse character: Enhanced potential to predict urgency for transfusion and other life-saving interventions after traumatic injury.

Background: Field triage of trauma patients requires timely assessment of physiologic status to determine resuscitative needs. Vital signs and rudimentary assessments such as pulse character (PC) are used by first responders to guide decision making. The compensatory reserve measurement (CRM) has demonstrated utility as an easily interpretable method for assessing patient status.