Wound inflammatory index: A "proof of concept" study to assess wound healing trajectory

Manish Bharara, Jeffrey Schoess, Aksone Nouvong, David G. Armstrong

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

36 Scopus citations

Abstract

Diabetes around the globe results in one major limb amputation every 30 seconds, over 2500 limbs lost per day. The underlying pathophysiology sometimes leads to a chronic inflammatory stage, which may prevent appropriate healing, and therefore, the need for a clear strategy for assessing and classifying wounds and wound healing cannot be overstated. Temperature is a surrogate marker for inflammation. Quantitative thermography using a numerical index provides a useful way to assess wound healing. Advances in technology have afforded the availability of low-cost, high-resolution thermal imaging systems, which can be used to quantify sensitive changes on the skin surface and may be particularly useful to develop monitoring strategies for wounds. This article provides a standardized technique for calculating a thermal index (TI) supported with a case report from assessment of a diabetic foot ulcer. In this single case study, the TI/wound inflammatory index indicates a shift from negative to positive (p < .05) before it reaches zero.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)773-779
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Diabetes Science and Technology
Volume4
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2010

Keywords

  • Diabetic foot ulcers
  • Thermal index
  • Thermography
  • Thermometry
  • Wound healing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Internal Medicine
  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
  • Bioengineering
  • Biomedical Engineering

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