For children who have been diagnosed with cancer and are undergoing a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), something as small as a fever could indicate something life-threatening, like an infection. In fact, blood stream infections occur in nearly 30 percent of patients undergoing this procedure with fever often being the first symptom. When a febrile event occurs, it’s critical that antibiotics be delivered to the patient quickly. However, the current standard of care in most hospitals includes only episodic body temperature monitoring, which may delay fever detection.
The answer to catching fevers sooner? A device that continuously monitors body temperature in real time and provides alerts to healthcare providers. To test this method, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, one of the oldest and most distinguished pediatric hospitals in the United States, studied TempTraq®, a patented, wearable, Bluetooth® temperature monitor in the form of a soft, comfortable patch. The results were presented at the Pediatric Blood & Bone Marrow Transplant Consortium in May 2018.
Cincinnati Children’s performed an observational study of pediatric patients (ages one to 17) undergoing HSCT at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ten enrolled patients wore a TempTraq patch for five days. Throughout the process, temperature data from the patch was compared to the standard episodic temperature monitoring to determine the presence of a fever.
During the study, six of the 10 patients experienced a fever, and TempTraq detected a fever in each case. The fever was never detected by episodic monitoring in two of the six patients. Additionally, in two of the patients, the standard-of-care method did not detect fever for over 12 hours.
“In our patient population, detecting fevers as early as possible is critical,” stated Dr. Christopher Dandoy, Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Bone Marrow Transplantation and Immune Deficiency. “And TempTraq could be a game changer.”
A survey was completed by the parent or guardian at the end of the study to determine the device’s tolerability, ease of use, satisfaction and desire for future use in the inpatient (and outpatient) setting. The results are as follows (out of 10):
- Tolerance: 9.1
- Ease of Use: 9.8
- Satisfaction: 8.4
- Desire for Future Use: 8.9 (inpatient); 9.2 (outpatient)
Unlike other devices and methods (like intermittent temperature monitoring) that provide physicians with only one point of data and offer no continuous monitoring or alerts, this patented device is the ideal, non-invasive, solution for doctors and nurses who need a continuous, smarter way to track, log and respond to fevers quickly.
Although not tested in this study, through TempTraq Connect, a secure, HIPAA-compliant service supported by the Google Healthcare Cloud Platform, the device may be integrated directly into hospital central monitoring systems and electronic health records (EHR) to safely and securely store patient data. Nurses can then view the temperature in their system as frequently as needed and can receive real-time audible or visual fever alerts at the central nursing station or through mobile devices. Plus, no more waking patients to take their temperatures, and the hygienic, single-use, disposable design eliminates the hassle, time and cost of sterilizing the device between uses.
The TempTraq system is scalable and can support a single hospital or a multi-hospital/physician group healthcare system.
For more information on TempTraq, please visit www.TempTraq.com.
About Blue Spark Technologies, Inc.
Headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, Blue Spark Technologies, Inc. is the leader in developing thin, flexible, printed power solutions for printed electronic systems, including solutions developed utilizing their thin, flexible proprietary battery technology. Blue Spark Technologies’ latest patented innovation, TempTraq®, is the only Bluetooth®, wearable temperature monitor in the form of a soft, comfortable patch that continuously, safely and comfortably, monitors body temperature for up to 24 or 48 hours and sends alerts to Apple® or Android™ compatible mobile devices.
The company’s TempTraq Connect HIPAA-compliant service supported by Google Healthcare Cloud Platform allows parents and caregivers to monitor body temperature from anywhere. It also allows direct integration with health care provider electronic health records (EHR) systems and central nurse’s stations, providing a secure method of storing patient health care data.
TempTraq has shown proven efficacy in the most demanding environments, including the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and Akron Children’s Hospital, as well as several other leading hospitals. The TempTraq system is scalable and can support a single hospital or a multi-hospital/physician group healthcare system.
SOURCE Blue Spark Technologies, Inc.
