Body Temperature
Conditions
Keywords
patient transfer
Brief summary
Evaluate the reliability and validity of temperature measurements using an existing, Health Canada-approved, non-invasive temporal artery thermometer, and comparing results to an established, invasive gold standard (esophageal probe), in order to assess reliability of this non-invasive method to measure core body temperature in the setting of patients undergoing inter-facility patient transport by land, rotor-wing, and fixed-wing transport vehicles.
Detailed description
Interfacility patient transport can put the patient at risk a drop in body temperature. This drop can harmful to patients with particular illnesses (trauma, stroke, post cardiac arrest), and the very young or old. Measuring temperature and preventing temperature drops are challenging in the transport setting. The temporal artery thermometer (TAT) is widely available, easy to use, non-invasive way to measure body temperature. TAT is believed to be a good tool for paramedics to measure body temperature in the transport setting. However, the evidence on reliability and validity of TAT-derived temperature measurements is lacking because the TAT has not been evaluated in the transport setting. The goal of this study is to evaluate the reliability of the TAT device and compare measures of temperature with an established standard in a broad range of patients undergoing interfacility transport by land ambulance, and rotor- and fixed-wing aircraft.
Interventions
OTHERMeasurement of temperature using non-invasive means
The study intervention will involve paramedics using the TAT device to measure temperature non-invasively,the first measurements made at least 5 minutes after insertion of the temperature probe (control measurement #1), and also prior to departure from the sending facility (control measurement #2). Once the patient is in the transport vehicle and the vehicle in motion for at least 10 minutes, the paramedics will measure the patient's temperature non-invasively using the TAT. If the transport time exceeds 1 hour, additional measurements taken at 1 hour intervals for the duration of transport (up to a total of 8 hours).
Sponsors
Ornge Transport Medicine
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
The investigators will conduct a prospective cohort study of patients undergoing emergent or urgent interfacility patient transport by Ornge in Ontario, Canada. The study will include all patients, regardless of age, who are intubated and mechanically ventilated, and transported for emergent or urgent indications.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
The study will include patients who meet all of the following criteria: * intubated * mechanically ventilated * transported for emergent or urgent indications * transported between January 1 and December 31, 2019.
Exclusion criteria
The study will exclude patients with any one of the following: * transports non-urgent conditions * scheduled transports (for appointment, repatriations, or similar) * patients who are not intubated and mechanically ventilated * patients with contraindications to temperature probe insertion (esophageal stricture, varices or perforation; upper or lower gastrointestinal bleeding; congenital tracheo-esophageal abnormalities; post-operative patients with ear, nose, and throat or upper airway surgery; facial trauma or anatomic abnormalities; coagulopathy; anticoagulant use) * scene responses * patients transported posthumously * patients in whom an invasive temperature monitoring probe was not inserted
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Inter-method reliability | Time frame 1: 5 minutes post insertion of invasive temperature probe. Time frame 2: 10 minutes after transport begins. Time frame 3: every hour until transport ends, up to 8 hours. | Paramedics will measure core temperature at least 5 minutes after invasive monitoring device insertion, prior to departure from the sending facility, once the transport vehicle in is motion for at least 10 minutes, and at 1 hour intervals thereafter (if transport time exceeds 1 hour). The invasive device will be placed by one paramedic, with the result recorded by the transport monitor. The other paramedic will simultaneously use the TAT to take the temperatures, documenting the results in the electronic patient care record. |
Countries
Canada
Outcome results
None listed