Does targeted temperature monitoring improve outcomes in major trauma
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Does targeted temperature monitoring improve patient outcomes in prehospital major trauma patients?
IRAS ID
355689
Contact name
Jacob Gunn
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Northumbria
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Major trauma is one of the biggest causes of death worldwide, requiring responses from multiple care providers and often extended treatment plans to increase patients’ chances of survival. Studies have indicated that in patients suffering from major trauma, a low temperature (hypothermia) is linked to decreased survival, increases in complications, and longer hospital stays.
Hypothermia in major trauma patients can be caused by a variety of factors, including shock, the surrounding environment, removal of clothing, and treatments administered. There also appears to be limited recording of patient temperatures and limited effective attempts to prevent hypothermia in the prehospital environment. This results in large numbers of patients arriving at hospital with lower temperatures.
There is a paucity of evidence clearly demonstrating whether it is possible to improve major trauma patients temperature in the pre hospital environment, and whether this would improve survival. Equally there is little research into barriers preventing better temperature monitoring in major trauma patients.
This study will be based in the North of England, undertaken by an Air Ambulance charity with regular exposure to major trauma patients. Interviews will take place with clinicians working for the Air Ambulance charity to assess their opinions about what barriers are in place that prevent better temperature monitoring and management. Following this, for 2 years, as part of the routine management of major trauma patients, routine observations including temperature will be observed and recorded by tympanic measurement. This will take place during the primary survey, before transfer, and prior to handover allowing clinicians to track and therefore better avoid, reduce and reverse the decline into hypothermia. Patient outcomes in the cohort following implementation will be compared to a cohort before this implementation, when temperature was not routinely recorded, and compared to see if improvements in prehospital temperature monitoring and management translate to better outcomes for patients.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 1 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/NE/0180
Date of REC Opinion
21 Oct 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion