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Accuracy of Core Body Temperature Measurement Depending on Oesophageal Probe Tip Location

NCT06370676 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 15

Last updated 2025-08-08

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Background An accurate measurement of the core body temperature (CBT) is of pivotal importance in the management of severely hypothermic patients. For instance, triage decisions for or against extracorporeal rewarming of hypothermic patients in cardiac arrest strongly depend on CBT. CBT measurement with an oesophageal probe is currently considered the gold standard in hypothermic patients with a secured airway in the prehospital setting, with the tip of the probe placed into the distal third of the oesophagus (i.e., posteriorly to the heart and distal to the tracheal bifurcation). However, the correct placement of the probe tip cannot be verified in the prehospital setting, and it is unknown how incorrect placement affects temperature readings.

Hypothesis and aim The investigators hypothesise that an incorrect placement of the oesophageal temperature probe tip could lead to inaccurate measurements (i.e., temperature readings not reflecting the real CBT). Particularly, a tip location too high in the oesophagus in close proximity to the trachea could lead to falsely low temperature readings, especially when the patient is ventilated with cold air. The aim of the proposed study is to investigate the influence of oesophageal temperature probe tip location on CBT measurement.

Methods Experimental, interventional study on 16 healthy volunteers. During the test oesophageal temperature is measured while participants are breathing ambient air first at 20°C (baseline) followed by cold (-20°C) ambient air in supine position for 20 minutes each test in an environmental simulator (terraXcube). Each participant repeats the 20-min test two times with the oesophageal temperature probe tip placed either in the lower third of the oesophagus (i.e., correct position) or too high in the oesophagus, i.e. behind the trachea.

Conditions

  • Emergencies
  • Hypothermia

Interventions

DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Oesophageal temperature measurement

Oesophageal temperature measurement

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Simon Rauch, MD, PhD · Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, Eurac Research

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
SINGLE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
75 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2024-05-23
Primary Completion
2024-12-31
Completion
2024-12-31

Countries

  • Italy

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT06370676 on ClinicalTrials.gov