Infrared imaging in septic illness - v0.1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The application of infrared thermal imaging in the diagnosis and prognostication of septic illness in adults
IRAS ID
196676
Contact name
Matthew Charlton
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospitals of Leicester
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 30 days
Research summary
The application of infrared thermal imaging in the diagnosis and prognostication of septic illness in adults.
During times of severe infection (sepsis), the small blood vessels supplying oxygen and nutrients to the skin and other organs (called the microcirculation), become abnormal and do not function as they normally would in health. Monitoring these small blood vessels is difficult to do clinically and we want to investigate a new way of doing this.
The aim of this study is to validate a novel method of assessing the function of the microcirculation in healthy volunteers and patients with sepsis, by measuring the skin temperature profile of the leg and face with a thermal imaging camera. Thermal imaging cameras measure the heat given off by all objects and represents this as a picture, with colour used to represent the different temperatures.
Patients will be recruited from the Emergency Department and Intensive Care Units at University Hospitals of Leicester in to one of two groups based on their illness severity; uncomplicated sepsis and severe sepsis. Healthy volunteers will be recruited in to a third group. Recruitment will take place over a 6-month period with follow-up lasting for 12-months following recruitment. 105 patients will be recruited in total.
Temperature patterns seen on the face and leg will be investigated between the different groups. Changes in these temperature patterns as patients recover from sepsis (or indeed become worse), will also be investigated. Information from the thermal images will be correlated to routinely measured markers of infection, including clinical measurements (blood pressure, pulse, etc) and routine blood investigations.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NE/0168
Date of REC Opinion
24 May 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion