The FLIR One non-contact thermography application in the assessment of the burn wound depth
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15574/PS.2024.83.13Keywords:
burn injury, determining the burn wound depth, thermography, non-contact thermography, FLIR OneAbstract
The treatment of burn injuries is complicated by the proper diagnosis of areas requiring immediate necrectomy (deep burn) and those that can heal on their own (superficial burn). Non-contact thermography using the FLIR One device may be a reliable, non-invasive, and cost-effective method for assessing the depth of thermal injury.
Aim - to study the temperature of healthy skin, deep and superficial burns using the FLIR One non-contact thermograph, the temperature difference between them, and the diagnostic value of the method for assessing burn depth.
Materials and methods. The study involved 22 patients with limb burns. Thermometry of the affected areas was performed using the FLIR One thermograph within the first 48 hours after injury, before and during wound sanitation, with images analyzed using the FLIR One application.
Results. The temperature of healthy skin was 34.7°C (34.4-35.1°C), the temperature of superficial burns was 35.8°C (35.5-36.2°C), and the temperature of deep burns was 32.4°C (32.0-32.8°C). The difference between healthy skin and deep burns was 2.3°C (2.2-2.4°C), and between superficial and deep burns was 3.4°C (3.0-3.8°C). A temperature of 33.7°C with non-contact thermography indicated a deep burn with 95% sensitivity and specificity. A decrease in the temperature of the affected skin by more than 2.0°C compared to healthy skin (2.2-2.4°C) or superficial burns (3.0-3.8°C) also indicated deep thermal damage.
Conclusions. Thermography using FLIR One is a reliable and accessible method for analyzing the depth of burn wounds. The temperature of healthy skin during thermography is 34.7°C (34.4; 35.1)°C and is lower than the temperature of superficial burns (35.8°C (35.5; 36.2)°C) but higher than the temperature of deep burns (32.4°C (32.0; 32.8)°C). A temperature of 33.7°C with high sensitivity and specificity indicates a deep burn. The study showed that a temperature decrease of more than 2.0°C compared to healthy skin or superficial burns indicates deep thermal damage.
The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent of the child and child's parents was obtained for the research.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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