Geriatrics and
thermography
Infrared thermography is a timely and reliable method for nursing practitioners in pressure injury risk assessment.
Fuman Cai, 2020. Application of infrared thermography in the early warning of pressure injury: a prospective observational study
In the aforementioned study, 415 patients admitted to the adult intensive care units were enrolled by a convenience sampling method, and they received a follow-up monitoring for 10 days.
The risk of pressure injury was assessed via Braden scale, and thermal images of the sacral area were obtained by infrared thermal imager once a day.
Case example: Pressury injury decetion
- 78-year-old male, retirement home resident
- Paralysis of the left side of the body due to a cerebral infarction
- Fully bedridden, cannot sit up without assistance or change sides independently
- A thermal image was taken in connection with a routine physiotherapy session
- The thermal image revealed a high-risk area of ulceration on the left (paralyzed) side of the back which was not yet visible to the naked eye
- As a result, healthcare personnel were able to commit daily measures (assisted sitting, frequent side changes) to prevent the formation of an ulcer
The IRT-based model can objectively and accurately detect pressure injuries one day before visual detection.
A recent study from China included 263 patients who were screened for pressure injuries in the sacral region. The study showed that the ability of infrared thermography to detect pressure injuries was better than that of the other methods used.