About OptiTHERMM
What is OptiTHERMM?
We are a trainee-led collaborative research initiative which has set out to answer
important questions concerning the perioperative management of patients with major burns
undergoing surgery.
We have developed an online survey attempting to establish current practice in perioperative thermoregulation for
burns patients undergoing surgery in the acute setting. No patient data is involved.
Perioperative hypothermia has been shown to be associated with poor patient outcomes including an increased mortality rate. Patients with major burns are at a particularly high risk of perioperative hypothermia but there is no universally recognised international standard for the monitoring and management of patient body temperature around the time of surgery.
The primary outcome is the consensus concerning the major burn patient body temperature which is deemed to be safe during surgery and in the perioperative period.
Please see our protocol for full details.
Who can complete the survey?
Doctors who have completed recognised training (e.g. consultant/fellow) in the specialities of:
– Surgery
– Anaesthetics
– Intensive care
Who work in clinical facilities which care for patients with burns.
What about trainees?
Trainees can get involved by recruiting consultants to complete the survey. Trainees who recruit at least 5 consultants to the study will be listed as collaborators on the paper. See our protocol for full details.
If you are a trainee and would like to get involved, click here to sign up!
When is the survey occurring?
Recruitment of trainee collaborators in Australia and New Zealand is now open. Sign up here. The survey will be rolled out in Australia/New Zealand from November 2021-January 2022. Exact dates to follow soon.
A timeline for the rollout in Europe/UK will be released soon.
Where will the survey run?
Australia.
New Zealand.
The United Kingdom.
Continental Europe.
What about confidentiality?
No patient information will be collected. Participants will be asked to choose their professional role, the name of their hospital and the city or town in which it is located. They will not be asked for any personal information such as their name or date of birth. They can optionally leave their email if they wish to be sent the results.
What about study funding?
This is not a funded study.
Is there a protocol?
The study protocol is available to view here.
