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Noninvasive determination of burn depth in children by digital infrared thermal imaging

Jose David Medina-Preciado1, Eleazar Samuel Kolosovas-Machuca, Ezequiel Velez-Gomez

  • 1Civil Hospital of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

Journal of Biomedical Optics
|November 1, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Digital infrared thermal imaging noninvasively assesses pediatric burn wound severity. This technology distinguishes superficial dermal burns from deep dermal burns by analyzing temperature differences, aiding in treatment decisions.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Imaging
  • Dermatology
  • Pediatric Burn Care

Background:

  • Burn wound assessment is crucial for effective treatment.
  • Noninvasive methods are desirable for pediatric patients.
  • Differentiating burn depths impacts therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI) for noninvasive burn wound assessment in children.
  • To correlate thermal imaging parameters with histopathological burn depth.
  • To determine DITI's ability to distinguish superficial from deep dermal burns.

Main Methods:

  • DITI was used on 13 pediatric burn patients.
  • A delta-T (ΔT) parameter was calculated by comparing burn site temperature to healthy contralateral skin.
  • ΔT values were compared with histopathologically determined burn depths.

Main Results:

  • Superficial dermal burns (IIa) exhibited higher temperatures than contralateral regions.
  • Deep dermal burns (IIb) showed lower temperatures than contralateral regions.
  • The temperature difference (ΔT) was statistically significant (p<0.0001) in differentiating burn depths.

Conclusions:

  • DITI is a viable noninvasive tool for assessing pediatric burn wound severity.
  • DITI can accurately distinguish between superficial and deep dermal burns.
  • DITI can identify varied burn depths within a single wound and assist in estimating graft size.

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