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Accuracy of Thermographic Imaging in the Early Detection of Pressure Injury: A Systematic Review
Miriam Viviane Baron1, Paulo Ricardo Hernandes Martins, Cristine Brandenburg
1Miriam Viviane Baron, PhD, is CEO and Professor, Instituto Interdiciplinar de Educação Ciência e Saúde, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. Paulo Ricardo Hernandes Martins, MB, is Student, Faculty of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Cristine Brandenburg, PhD, is Professor and CEO, Instituto Interdisciplinar de Educação Ciência e Saúde, and Substitute Professor, Faculdade de Educação, Ciências e Letras do Sertão. Janine Koepp, PhD, is Postdoctoral Student, Health Promotion, and Associate Professor, School of Nursing, University of Santa Cruz do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Also at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Isabel Cristina Reinheimer, MSc, is PhD Student, Graduate Program in Medicine and Health Sciences; and Amanda Corrêa dos Santos, MB, and Michele Paula dos Santos, MB, are Students, Faculty of Medicine. Andres Felipe Mantilla Santamaria, MD, practices at Clínica Integral del Dolor-Painfree, Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia. Thomas Miliou, MBA, is Chief Executive Officer, Poliscan Brazil Commerce and Services of Medical Equipment Ltd, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. Bartira Ercília Pinheiro da Costa, PhD, is Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul.
Objective:
To verify the accuracy of thermographic images in the early detection of pressure injury (PI) in adult patients.
Data Sources:
Between March 2021 and May 2022, researchers searched 18 databases for relevant articles using nine keywords. In total, 755 studies were evaluated.
Study Selection:
Eight studies were included in the review. Studies were included if they evaluated individuals older than 18 years who were admitted to any healthcare setting; were published in English, Spanish, or Portuguese; examined the accuracy of thermal imaging in the early detection of PI, including suspected stage 1 PI or deep tissue injury; and they compared the region of interest to another area or control group, or to the Braden Scale or Norton Scale. Animal studies and reviews, studies with contact infrared thermography, and those including stages 2, 3, 4, and unstageable PIs were excluded.
Data Extraction:
Researchers examined sample characteristics and assessment measures related to image capture, including environmental, individual, and technical factors.
Data Synthesis:
Across the included studies, sample sizes ranged from 67 to 349 participants, and patients were followed up for periods ranging from a single assessment up to 14 days, or until the appearance of a PI, discharge, or death. Evaluation with the infrared thermography identified temperature differentials between regions of interest and/or in comparison with risk assessment scales.
Conclusions:
Evidence on the accuracy of thermographic imaging in the early detection of PI is limited.
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