Non-invasive continuous temperature monitoring in major burns patients in the Alfred Emergency Department

Non-invasive continuous temperature measurement with the Cosinuss c-med° alpha ear sensor. The probe consists of a sensor head that is connected to a processing unit behind the ear (similar to a hearing aid). The sensor will be placed into the external auditory canal by a critical care nurse, an emergency physician or burns liaison nurse (BLN).. The participants will wear the sensor while they stay in the emergency department only. During this time their temperature will be monitored. The sensor will be removed when they are transferred to intensive care unit (ICU) or operating theatre (OT). After use the sensor is to be cleaned with an appropriate disinfection and can be reused. All patients will have standard care and temperatures will be measured using a temporal arterial thermometer (TAT) or invasive probe as is routine clinical practice. The TAT is a non-invasive device that measures body temperature by scanning the temporal artery on the forehead with infrared sensors. For invasive measurements there are two different probes available, an oesophageal probe inserted into the food-pipe or a bladder probe inserted through a urinary catheter. The TAT is often used in the initial phase. During the busy resuscitation phase, TAT measurements are often not documented in close intervals. In patients with severe burns or intubated patients an invasive probe is inserted. From then on temperatures are measured continuously and recorded more regularly.