The falling grace of axillary temperatures.
This study compared axillary temperatures with either rectal or oral temperatures in 173 infants and young children. Axillary temperatures indicated a sensitivity of only 27.8% in their ability to detect fever in the febrile group. The age-old gold standard of estimating rectal temperature by adding 1 degree F to the oral and 2 degrees F to the axillary temperature was verified with afebrile group mean temperatures, but did not hold up with individual children's temperatures nor with febrile mean temperatures.
Haddock
B J
BJ
Merrow
D L
DL
Swanson
M S
MS
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001365:Axilla; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009055:Mouth; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D012007:Rectum; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013821:Thermometers / Q000592:standards*