No abstract

Introduction: Quick and reliable assessment of acute patients is required for accurate triage. The temperature gradient between core and peripheral temperature could possibly instantly provide information on circulatory status. Methods: Adult medical patients, who did not receive supplementary oxygen, attending two emergency departments, had a thermographic image taken on arrival. The association between 30-day mortality and gradients was tested using logistic regression. Results: 726 patients were studied, median age was 64 years and 14 (1.9%) died within 30 days. There was a significant association between mortality and temperature gradient, comparable to vital signs, age, and clinical intuition. Conclusion: Temperature gradient between nose and eye had an acceptable discriminatory power for 30-day all-cause mortality.

Purpose: This systematic review investigates whether infrared thermography (IRT) can measure systemic vasoconstriction and addresses the value of IRT in assessing circulatory deficiency and prognoses. Methods: Design was based on the PRISMA criteria and a systematic search of 6 databases was performed. Results: Of 3,198 records, five articles were included. Three clinical studies were identified; two found significant correlations between IRT obtained temperatures and mortality. An experimental study found an association between peripheral temperature and stroke volume. An animal study found that central-peripheral temperature differences correlated with shock index, mean arterial pressure, and disease progression. Conclusions: Data from the most valid study suggests that central-peripheral temperature differences should be investigated further, both on its own, and integrated with other variables.