The performance of two tympanic thermometers in a pediatric emergency department.
In a prospective, unblinded, controlled study, 303 children underwent comparison of rectal (RT) and right-sided tympanic membrane (TMT) temperatures. Digital electronic thermometers were used for RT, while two different infrared detection devices assessed TMT. The performance of TMT devices were compared using correlation with RT, fever detection, and ease of use. Correlation between RT and the two devices was good, r = 0.70 and r = 0.69, with little influence of patient age on performance. Using receiver operating characteristics curves to assess fever screening. Thermoscan performed somewhat better than First Temp. Staff rated the Thermoscan as significantly easier to use.
Terndrup
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Department of Emergency Medicine, State University of New York Health Science Center, Syracuse 13210.
Milewski
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D000367:Age Factors; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001831:Body Temperature; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D012007:Rectum / Q000502:physiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013821:Thermometers; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000502:physiology*