Flir One^® As A Predicting Factor for Burn Wound Conversion: A Preliminary Report

Burn area may progress into a more profound wound, known as burn wound conversion. Early prediction of burn wound conversion guides clinicians in their treatment decision. This study aimed to assess the reliability of FLIR One^® in predicting burn wound conversion. We conducted a prospective cohort study, including patients who were admitted to our tertiary hospital from December 2018 to December 2019. All adult patients with mid-dermal burn injury of less than 40% TBSA that occurred within 72 hours were included in our study. Thermal imaging FLIR One^® was used to evaluate the difference between burn wound and healthy skin in the same area (DT1), and ImageJ software objectively measured the burn's extension. The examinations were done by a plastic surgeon on the 1^st and the 3^rd day of admission. Data were later compared and statistically analyzed. A total of 157 wound samples were collected from 40 patients - a slightly higher number were found in males (57.5%). The major cause of burn was gas explosion (50%), mostly with less than 20% TBSA (55%). The area under the curve (AUC) for DT1 was 0.884 (95% CI: 0.822 - 0.945) p<0.05 with a cut-off point at DT1 more than 1.25°C lower than unburned skin. However, there was no correlation between DT1 and extension of the wound area. Thermal difference (DT1), measured using thermal imaging FLIR One^® could be considered as a predictor of burn wound conversion from mid-dermal to deep dermal, with the optimal cut-off point of 1.25°C lower than unburned skin.