Chiu W T, Lin P W, Chiou H Y, Lee W S, Lee C N, Yang Y Y, Lee H M, Hsieh M S, Hu C J, Ho Y S, Deng W P, Hsu C Y
Department of Neurosurgery, Taipei Medical University, Wan Fang Hospital.
Asia Pac J Public Health. 2005;17(1):26-8. doi: 10.1177/101053950501700107.
Fever greater than 38 degrees C is a cardinal sign of patients with the severe acute respiratory syndromes (SARS). To reduce the risk of nosocomial cross infections, screening all patients and visitors who visit hospitals and clinics for fever at the entrance of every hospital building has become a standard protocol in Taiwan during the SARS epidemic from mid-April to mid-June 2003. We used a digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI) system (Telesis Spectrum 9000 MB) to conduct mass screening of patients and visitors who entered the hospital to identify those with fever. The DITI system has two components: a sensor head and a PC imaging workstation. The sensor head is an optic-mechanical device which consists of imagining optics for focusing the infrared source information on the infrared detector. The infrared images are further converted into electrical signals, which are then processed for real-time display on the monitor. During the period from April 13 to May 12 2003, 72,327 outpatients and visitors entered Taipei Medical University-Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. A total of 305 febrile patients (0.42%) was detected by infrared thermography. Among them, three probable SARS patients were identified after thorough studies including contact history, laboratory tests and radiology examinations. The findings suggests that infrared thermography was an effective and reliable tool ideal for mass-screening patients with fever in the initial phase of screening for SARS patients at a busy hospital which sees approximately 3,000 outpatients every weekday during the SARS epidemic.
体温高于38摄氏度是严重急性呼吸综合征（SARS）患者的主要体征。为降低医院内交叉感染风险，在2003年4月中旬至6月中旬台湾SARS疫情期间，在每栋医院大楼入口对所有进出医院和诊所的患者及访客进行发热筛查已成为标准流程。我们使用数字红外热成像（DITI）系统（Telesis Spectrum 9000 MB）对进入医院的患者和访客进行大规模筛查，以识别发热者。DITI系统有两个组件：一个传感器头和一个PC成像工作站。传感器头是一个光机械装置，由成像光学器件组成，用于将红外源信息聚焦在红外探测器上。红外图像进一步转换为电信号，然后进行处理以便在监视器上实时显示。在2003年4月13日至5月12日期间，72327名门诊患者和访客进入台湾台北医科大学附设万芳医院。通过红外热成像检测出305名发热患者（0.42%）。其中，经过包括接触史、实验室检查和放射学检查在内的全面研究，确定了3名疑似SARS患者。研究结果表明，在SARS疫情期间，一家平日每天约有3000名门诊患者的繁忙医院，红外热成像在SARS患者筛查初期是一种有效且可靠的大规模筛查发热患者的理想工具。
