title: Clinical utilization of near-infrared spectroscopy devices for burn depth assessment.
abstract: The diagnosis of burn depth is based on a visual assessment and can be subjective. Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic devices were used preclinically with positive results. The purpose of this study was to test the devices in a clinical setting using easily identifiable burn wounds. Adult patients with acute superficial and full-thickness burns were enrolled. NIR point spectroscopy and imaging devices were used to collect hemodynamic data from the burn site and an adjacent unburned control site. Oxy-hemoglobin and deoxy-hemoglobin concentrations were extracted from spectroscopic data and reported as oxygen saturation and total hemoglobin. Sixteen patients (n=16) were included in the study with equal numbers in both burn wound groups. Point spectroscopy data showed an increase in oxygen saturation (p<0.0095) and total hemoglobin (<0.0001) in comparison with the respective control areas for superficial burn wounds. The opposite was true for full-thickness burns, which showed a decrease in oxygenation (p<0.0001) and total hemoglobin (p<0.0147) in comparison with control areas. NIR imaging technology provides an estimate of hemodynamic parameters and could easily distinguish superficial and full-thickness burn wounds. These results confirm that NIR devices can successfully distinguish superficial and full-thickness burn injuries.
authors.affiliation: Ross Tilley Burn Centre, Sunnybrook & Women's College Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Cross
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leonardi
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Payette
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Levasseur
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Schattka
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Sowa
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Fish
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002056:Burns / Q000473:pathology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared
chemical_list: D010108:Oxyhemoglobins