Forehead, Temple and Wrist Temperature Assessment of Ethnic Groups using Infrared Technology

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2022

Authors

Wally auf der Strasse (Author) Other; Daniel Prado Campos (Author) Other; Celso Júnio Aguiar Mendonça (Author) Other; Jamil Faissal Soni (Author) Other; Joaquim Gabriel Magalhães Mendes (Author) FEUP; Percy Nohama (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Medical Engineering & Physics

Vol. 102

Pages: 1-9

ISSN: 1350-4533

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

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Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00W-3NS

DOI: 10.1016/j.medengphy.2022.103777

Abstract (EN): Non-contact infrared sensors are widely used as a diagnostic tool for elevated body temperature during initial screening for coronaviruses. The aim of this study was to investigate the thermal differences at three anatomical points: temple, forehead, and wrist, in the initial screening for temperature indicative of febrile and non-febrile states in skin pigmentation variations in Black, Half-Black and Caucasian skins, correlated with height and weight variables. Temperatures were obtained by means of an infrared thermometer in 289 volunteers with mean age of 18.30 +/- 0.76, in a controlled environment according to Singapore Standard, SS582 part 1 and 2, normative standard IEC 80601-2-59, with standard technical protocols established by the International Organization for Standardization, ISO / TR 13154. The data were processed in MATLAB (R) R2021a, and data normality verified by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, non-parametric data paired between temple / forehead / wrist were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The results show different median temperatures in these anatomical regions, 37.2 degrees C at the temple, 36.8 degrees C at the forehead and 36.4 degrees C at the wrist. As the temple region presents a temperature higher than the other investigated regions and, therefore, close to the core temperature, it should be considered for the initial screening of SARS-CoV-2 when using non-contact infrared thermometers. Furthermore, no significant changes were found due to variation in skin tone, height, or weight.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 9