Infrared Thermography in Trauma and Orthopaedic Patients (IRTO)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Assessment of skin temperatures (Tsk), as a predictor for infection, using infrared thermography (IRT) in Trauma and Orthopaedic Patients – A Pilot Study.
IRAS ID
317991
Contact name
Hemant Sharma
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Infection after fracture fixation (IAFF) and infected joints have great psychological and financial costs to patients, surgeons and society. Currently there is no rapid, non-invasive, inexpensive test that can be used to facilitate diagnosis. We currently rely on blood tests and clinical examination which can be abnormal in a number of conditions, leading to unnecessary tests or procedures. Infrared thermography (IRT), uses thermal images, and has the potential to detect infection early, as a bedside test that could be performed in the outpatient clinic.
There are huge potential benefits and savings to patients, healthcare systems and wider society from early appropriate management of infection following identification with IRT. This could reduce morbidity, mortality, length of stay and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions (e.g. Suspected infections could be discharged based on IRT from the emergency department). IRT can further reduce the number of tests/interventions for patients (e.g. IRT not suggestive of IAFF could avoid unnecessary reoperation). There could also be reduced personal costs to patients through loss of work, providing for their families and prevention of psychological impact of infections.
This study will determine whether IRT can be used to accurately identify adult patients with IAFF and septic arthritis (SA). This pilot study will inform the feasibility and design of the future larger study.
Patients with suspected infections of large joints and wrist/ankle fractures will be identified from the emergency department and clinics. Patients will be managed as per their routine care, except for requiring a approximately one extra hospital visit to have thermal images taken. The study will take place at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (HUTH) and Aalborg University Hospital (AUH), Denmark. AUH has its own Danish sponsorship and ethical approval process.
This pilot study will last 12 months and the patients will undergo regular thermal images during routine follow-up.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/EE/0250
Date of REC Opinion
27 Oct 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion