Contact-free monitoring of circulation and perfusion dynamics based on the analysis of thermal imagery.
Acute circulatory disorders are commonly associated with systemic inflammatory response (SIRS) and sepsis. During sepsis, microcirculatory perfusion is compromised leading to tissue hypoperfusion and potentially to multiple organ dysfunction. In the present study, acute lung injury (ALI), one of the major causes leading to SIRS and sepsis, was experimentally induced in six female pigs. To investigate the progress of body temperature distribution, measurements with a long-wave infrared camera were carried out. Temperature centralization was evidenced during ALI owing to impairments of peripheral perfusion. In addition, statistical analysis demonstrated strong correlations between (a) standard deviation of the skin temperature distribution (SD) and shock index (SI) (p<0.0005), (b) SD and mean arterial pressure (MAP) (p<0.0005), (c) ΔT/Δx and SI (p<0.0005), as well as between (d) ΔT/Δx and MAP (p<0.0005). For clarification purposes, ΔT/Δx is a parameter implemented to quantify the spatial temperature gradient. This pioneering study created promising results. It demonstrated the capacity of infrared thermography as well as of the indexes, SD and ΔT/Δx, to detect impairments in both circulation and tissue perfusion.
Chair for Medical Information Technology, Helmholtz Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrs. 20, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.
Carina Barbosa
CB
Pereira
Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrs. 30, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.
Michael
M
Czaplik
Chair for Medical Information Technology, Helmholtz Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrs. 20, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.
Nikolai
N
Blanik
Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrs. 30, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.
Rolf
R
Rossaint
Chair for Medical Information Technology, Helmholtz Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrs. 20, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.
Vladimir
V
Blazek
Chair for Medical Information Technology, Helmholtz Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrs. 20, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.
Steffen
S
Leonhardt
(040.3060) Infrared; (170.1610) Clinical applications; (170.2655) Functional monitoring and imaging