Continuous Temperature Monitoring for tHe Early Recognition of Febrile Neutropenia in Haematological MALignancies

The THERMAL study is a pilot study to determine feasibility of using two separate continuous skin temperature monitors during intensive treatment for haematological malignancies. It involves participants wearing both the TempTraq and CORE temperature devices for up to 14 days, and then assessing their feasibility and tolerability with quantitative, semiquantitative and qualitative methods.

Patients with haematological malignancies such as leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma often require intensive treatments such as chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation (either autologous or allogeneic) or CAR T-cell therapy. All these therapies can lead to a period of prolonged neutropenia, or low neutrophils, when they are at very high risk of serious bacterial infections. While other countries use routine prophylactic antibiotics, Australasian practice is to focus on prompt recognition and treatment of infections. There is clear evidence that early recognition and treatment of febrile neutropenia with antibiotics leads to improved outcomes, with each hour delay in antibiotic administration associated with an 18% increase in mortality. Current practice is to detect fevers by both routine and symptom-based intermittent ear thermometer testing, with routine monitoring being approximately every four hours. However, neutropenic patients may not develop symptoms before manifesting a fever, meaning that continuous temperature monitoring could potentially lead to earlier recognition and treatment of febrile neutropenia. This pilot study seeks to determine the feasibility of using two separate continuous skin temperature monitors during intensive treatment for haematological malignancies, in the inpatient and outpatient setting. If feasible, this could be used to increase the amount of treatments that can be safely performed as outpatients, as well as allowing earlier identification and treatment of febrile neutropenia. The two proposed measuring devices are: 1. TempTraq adhesive temperature sensor, a skin temperature sensor which is applied to the axilla for 72 hours, then replaced; and 2. CORE temperature sensor, a rechargeable skin temperature sensor that is attached to the chest with a chest strap. The TempTraq device is an FDA cleared class 2 medical device, while the CORE temperature monitor has received emergency FDA approval as a medical device in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. If these devices are demonstrated to be feasible, the technology could potentially be used to improve monitoring of immunosuppressed patients out of hospital, allowing patients to receive treatment out of hospital or closer to home. It may also allow earlier detection of febrile neutropenia, and reduce the mortality from this.