Continuous Temperature-Monitoring Skin Patch Effective for Detecting Febrile Neutropenia Earlier

Timely identification and treatment of febrile neutropenia (FN) stemming from chemotherapy or stem cell transplantation (SCT) is crucial for increased chance of survival. Previous research has shown that each hour of delay in FN treatment is associated with a 7.6% decrease in survival among patients with leukemia.

According to a study abstract presented at the 60th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting & Exposition, a skin patch for continuous temperature monitoring is feasible in the inpatient setting and has the potential to detect FN earlier than the standard of care: thermometry monitoring.

“A device that can continuously monitor body temperature can act as a clinical support tool—allowing for prompt infectious work-up and initiation of broad-spectrum antibiotics leading to improve outcomes and decrease incidents of sepsis and intensive care unit (ICU) transfers,” explained the study's researchers.

The Temp Traq Temperature Skin Patch, which uses Bluetooth technology to transmit data to an iPad or smart phone, was applied under the axilla every 24 hours for 17 patients admitted for high dose chemotherapy or SCT. Continuous temperature measurements began at placement and were sent to the study’s iPad every 10 minutes. These skin patch temperatures were not used for clinical decision making, and in addition to the patch, patients continued to have routine standard of care temperature monitoring.

During the study period, there were 5856 hours of patch data assessed. Between the 4 intervals (0-30 minutes, 30 minutes-1 hour, 1-2 hours, and 2-4 hours), the temperature skin patch was significantly correlated with standard of care temperatures.

A total of 13 patients had fever, with 8 developing infections. The average time from a patient’s admission to their first fever was 9 days. The data revealed that these fevers were detected a mean of 22.4 hours and a median of 11.4 hours earlier by the temperature skin patch compared with the standard of care. The researchers noted that 1 initial FN episode was detected by the skin patch but not with the standard of care.

“Further studies are warranted to understand the clinical implication of this temporal relationship on identifying infectious source and antibiotic sensitivities, as well as rates of sepsis and ICU transfer,” wrote the researchers.

Patients also filled out a questionnaire on which the they all reported that they were able to self-wear the patch throughout the hospital stay, and the majority said it was comfortable wear and that they were interested in wearing it in future admissions or at discharge. Twelve (75%) patients indicated that they were completely satisfied with the patch, while 2 (12%) said they were partially satisfied, and 2 (12%) said they were not sure at the time.

Reference

Dambrosio N, Porter M, Bauer E, et al. Identifying neutropenic fever earlier: an application of a skin patch for continuous temperature monitoring. Presented at: 60th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting & Exposition; December 1, 2018; San Diego, CA. Abstract 4718.