In 2021, Dr Christa König won a SPOG Young Investigator Grant. She received it for a feasibility study investigating whether wearables (small measuring devices worn on the body) could be used to monitor the vital signs of children undergoing chemotherapy. The young researcher’s study has now been published in the specialised journal «Supportive Care in Cancer».
While undergoing chemotherapy, children are at greater risk of infection which – if not treated promptly – can be life-threatening. A fever is often the first sign of this complication. Children with an infection are treated with intravenous antibiotics. The earlier the infection is detected, the better it can be treated. However, the child’s temperature is usually only taken when a fever is suspected, which can delay the diagnosis.
Wearables – small devices such as sports watches – can measure temperature and heart rate round the clock. In a study, Christa König’s team examined the suitability of wearables for continuously measuring temperature and other vital signs in children and adolescents who are undergoing chemotherapy. The results of the feasibility study showed that continuous temperature monitoring with real-time data transmission is possible for children aged 2-18 years, even when they are at home. The specialised journal «Supportive Care in Cancer» has just published the study by König and her colleagues.
The next step will be a randomised multicentre study (i.e. conducted at several clinics). It will clarify whether an early alert triggered by the wearables in the event of fever can actually improve the course and outcome of infections in children undergoing chemotherapy. This large-scale project is possible thanks to the preliminary project supported by the SPOG.
References
Koenig, C., Ammann, R.A., Schneider, C. et al. Continuous timely monitoring of core temperature with two wearable devices in pediatric patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer – a comparison study. Support Care Cancer 32, 188 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-024-08366-w Link zur Studie
The SPOG Young Investigator initiative
In order to promote the next generation, the SPOG awards grants to young researchers under the age of 40 who are working in a SPOG member clinic. The Young Investigator Grants are intended for clinical studies that are directly patient-related in paediatric oncology.
