tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) found an Infrared Thermal Detection System (ITDS) to be a fast and effective fever screening tool in clinical settings during the H1N1 influenza pandemic. The ITDS detected fever in patients through split-second, non-contact skin temperature measurements. Fever is a primary symptom of seasonal influenza, H1N1, avian influenza, SARS and other infectious diseases.
The results of the study were presented at the Fifth Decennial International Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infections in Atlanta.
Dr. Angela Hewlett and her colleagues evaluated the OptoTherm ThermoScreen in the Emergency Department of The Nebraska Medical Center, UNMC's hospital partner during the height of the H1N1 pandemic from November 18, 2009 to January 9, 2010 to test the tool's viability in a practical clinical setting. The ITDS employs a thermal imaging camera to measure skin temperature by detecting and quantifying the infrared energy being emitted from the face. The ITDS temperature measurements were compared with standard temperature measurements for 566 patients, ages 15 days to 89 years old.
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The ITDS proved to be an effective screening tool for identifying patients with fever (>100.0?F) across all age ranges and genders. While the ITDS had a high negative predictive value?correctly excluding most patients without fever?the machine also generated a high percentage of false positive results, measuring higher temperatures than routine temperature measurements. According to the study, if fever was not detected by the ITDS, then there was a 97% chance that there was no fever present, making the ITDS a useful tool for quick fever screenings.
Dr. Hewlett cautioned that their study used mostly oral temperature measurements as the standard to measure the effectiveness of the ITDS. Oral measurements are not always an accurate measure of temperature, but represent the most widely used measurement of temperature in clinical settings. Further evaluation of the performance and utility of the device is needed.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health..._patient_screening/index.html?source=r_health
The results of the study were presented at the Fifth Decennial International Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infections in Atlanta.
Dr. Angela Hewlett and her colleagues evaluated the OptoTherm ThermoScreen in the Emergency Department of The Nebraska Medical Center, UNMC's hospital partner during the height of the H1N1 pandemic from November 18, 2009 to January 9, 2010 to test the tool's viability in a practical clinical setting. The ITDS employs a thermal imaging camera to measure skin temperature by detecting and quantifying the infrared energy being emitted from the face. The ITDS temperature measurements were compared with standard temperature measurements for 566 patients, ages 15 days to 89 years old.
....
The ITDS proved to be an effective screening tool for identifying patients with fever (>100.0?F) across all age ranges and genders. While the ITDS had a high negative predictive value?correctly excluding most patients without fever?the machine also generated a high percentage of false positive results, measuring higher temperatures than routine temperature measurements. According to the study, if fever was not detected by the ITDS, then there was a 97% chance that there was no fever present, making the ITDS a useful tool for quick fever screenings.
Dr. Hewlett cautioned that their study used mostly oral temperature measurements as the standard to measure the effectiveness of the ITDS. Oral measurements are not always an accurate measure of temperature, but represent the most widely used measurement of temperature in clinical settings. Further evaluation of the performance and utility of the device is needed.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health..._patient_screening/index.html?source=r_health