Progress and applications of infrared thermography in individuals with intestinal stomas: a scoping review

Intestinal stoma care requires continuous nursing assessment and timely management of peristomal skin complications (PSCs) and perfusion-related risks, yet routine evaluation still relies predominantly on visual inspection and subjective symptom reporting. Infrared thermography (IRT) provides non-contact, visualized temperature monitoring and has been explored across wound and postoperative settings as an objective adjunct for early risk signaling. This review outlines the theoretical foundation of IRT, discusses acquisition and interpretation considerations, and summarizes current evidence in contexts relevant to intestinal stomas, along with implementation-oriented implications for nurse-led stoma care.

We conducted a structured literature search in Chinese databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, and China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and in English-language databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase) from inception through February 18, 2026. Controlled vocabulary terms and free-text keywords were combined for thermography and stoma/peristomal concepts, supplemented by wound, postoperative monitoring, and perfusion/ischemia-related terms. Two reviewers independently screened titles/abstracts and full texts using predefined eligibility criteria, with adjudication by a third reviewer when needed. Findings were synthesized narratively due to heterogeneity.

Nine studies were included, spanning postoperative infection/delayed healing monitoring, perfusion/ischemia-related evaluation, abdominal thermographic mapping, stimulated thermography for tissue differentiation, and mobile thermography with algorithmic analysis. Across studies, temperature-difference metrics (e.g., temperature difference, ΔT) and pattern-based interpretation were commonly used, while devices, acquisition conditions, and reported thermal metrics varied substantially.

Current evidence supports feasibility of IRT as a non-contact adjunct for temperature-pattern monitoring in contexts relevant to intestinal stoma care, but robust stoma-specific validation remains insufficient. Standardized acquisition procedures, interpretable thresholds, and pathway-level integration into nurse-led decision-making are key prerequisites for translation. Future implementation-ready studies with clinically meaningful endpoints and reproducibility testing are required to define when IRT adds value beyond routine assessment and how it can be embedded safely into real-world stoma care pathways.