MEASURING LATERAL SKIN TEMPERATURE PROFIL ES OF PRETERM INFANTS IN INCUBATORS BY THERMOGRAPHY

Thermography enables the measurement of patients skin temperature prof iles without stress caused by direct contact of probes to the skin. In previous incubator studies, frontal recordings were made through a ho le in the top wall of the incubator hood. Using this method it is not possible to record the lateral temperature gradient from the back to t he abdomen of the infant (in supine position), which is due to very li mited heat loss near the incubator mattress. In this study temperature recordings were made from a lateral position. For this purpose a new front door of the incubator (Draeger 8000) was designed, which replace d the standard front door during measurements. In a clinical study the rmography was compared to temperature measurements by standard thermis tors. The mean difference between thermography and thermistors was 0.1 6 degrees C. These results verify the use of thermography for measurin g skin temperature of preterm infants in incubators.