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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Uses of infrared thermography in acute illness
T2 - a systematic review
AU - Stanley, Sophie A.
AU - Divall, Pip
AU - Thompson, Jonathan P.
AU - Charlton, Matthew
PY - 2024/6/24
Y1 - 2024/6/24
N2 - Introduction: Infrared thermography (IRT) is a non-contact, non-ionising imaging modality, providing a visual representation of temperature distribution across a surface. Methods: We conducted a systematic search of indexed and grey literature for studies investigating IRT applications involving patients in acute care settings. Studies were categorised and described along themes identified iteratively using narrative synthesis. Quality appraisal of included studies was performed using the Quality Assessment tool for Diagnostic Accuracy Studies. Results: Of 1,060 unique records, 30 studies were included. These were conducted in emergency departments and intensive care units involving adult, paediatric and neonatal patients. IRT was studied for the diagnosis, monitoring or risk stratification of a wide range of individual conditions. IRT was predominantly used to display thermal change associated with localised inflammation or microcirculatory dysfunction. Existing research is largely at an early developmental stage. Discussion: We recommend that high quality diagnostic validation studies are now required for some clinical applications. IRT has the potential to be a valuable tool in the acute care setting and represents an important area for future research particularly when combined with advances in machine learning technology. Systematic review registration: CRD 42022327619 (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=327619).
AB - Introduction: Infrared thermography (IRT) is a non-contact, non-ionising imaging modality, providing a visual representation of temperature distribution across a surface. Methods: We conducted a systematic search of indexed and grey literature for studies investigating IRT applications involving patients in acute care settings. Studies were categorised and described along themes identified iteratively using narrative synthesis. Quality appraisal of included studies was performed using the Quality Assessment tool for Diagnostic Accuracy Studies. Results: Of 1,060 unique records, 30 studies were included. These were conducted in emergency departments and intensive care units involving adult, paediatric and neonatal patients. IRT was studied for the diagnosis, monitoring or risk stratification of a wide range of individual conditions. IRT was predominantly used to display thermal change associated with localised inflammation or microcirculatory dysfunction. Existing research is largely at an early developmental stage. Discussion: We recommend that high quality diagnostic validation studies are now required for some clinical applications. IRT has the potential to be a valuable tool in the acute care setting and represents an important area for future research particularly when combined with advances in machine learning technology. Systematic review registration: CRD 42022327619 (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=327619).
KW - paediatric intensive care (PICU)
KW - infrared thermography
KW - critical care
KW - infrared thermal (IRT) imager
KW - emergency medicine
U2 - 10.3389/fmed.2024.1412854
DO - 10.3389/fmed.2024.1412854
M3 - Journal article
VL - 11
JO - Frontiers in Medicine
JF - Frontiers in Medicine
SN - 2296-858X
M1 - 1412854
ER -