The importance of temperature monitoring in predicting wound healing

Abstract

The formation and healing of wounds are often accompanied by changes of various indexes, such as temperature, humidity, pressure, pH and exudate composition in the wound microenvironment. Monitoring these changes during the wound healing process is important as it helps in the early detection of abnormal healing, and promotes the implementation of suitable and efficient interventions. Of all the measurable characteristics of wounds, wound temperature is the most reliable index to observe or measure, as temperature changes and trends during the wound healing process vary in different types of wounds. Therefore, the measurement and analysis of wound temperature changes may assist in judging wound status, contributing to the development of treatment plans, and may predict wound healing outcomes. There are two methods of measuring temperature: single point monitoring and remote monitoring, and two comparison methods for measurement data: temperature difference to the same site of the skin opposite and to periwound skin. The focus of this review is to discuss the significant relationship between wound temperature and wound healing, and to evaluate the value of temperature monitoring in predicting wound healing. Local heating treatments, such as thermal radiation dressings and water-filtered infrared-A, and their use in promoting healing in acute and hard-to-heal wounds are also discussed. Conclusion: Upon wound formation, the wound temperature rises in the first 3–4 days until reaching its peak. It then falls at about one week after wound formation. In the second week after wound formation, the wound temperature decreases steadily to the baseline indicating a good wound condition and progression towards healing. While a continuous high temperature is often a sign of excessive inflammation or infection, which indicates urgent need of intervention and treatment.