Accuracy of infrared ear thermometry in adult patients.
OBJECTIVE
To assess (1) the agreement between infrared ear thermometry and core reference temperature (in the pulmonary artery). (2) the agreement between measurements in the right and left ears, and (3) the screening validity of infrared tympanic thermometry in detecting rectal fever.


METHODS
Temperatures were measured in both ears with an infrared thermometer, in one group of patients by simultaneous measurements with thermistors inserted in the pulmonary artery, esophagus, and rectum, and in the other group with a rectal glass-mercury thermometer.


METHODS
An intensive care unit and a department of internal medicine in a secondary care hospital.


METHODS
Two samples: 16 adult patients admitted to the intensive care unit and 103 consecutive patients admitted to the department of medicine.


METHODS
The major outcome measures were (a) the agreement between infrared ear thermometry and thermistor pulmonary artery temperature and (b) the sensitivity and specificity for detecting fever, using rectal measurement as reference.


RESULTS
Both rectal and esophageal thermistor measurements showed better agreement with the pulmonary artery reference temperature than single ear tympanic thermometry. The sensitivity and specificity of ear thermometry for detecting fever (> or = 38.0 degrees C rectal reference) were 0.58 and 0.94, respectively. Double ear thermometry had a sensitivity of 0.61 and a specificity of 0.95, when using the mean value.


CONCLUSIONS
Both rectal and esophageal thermistor measurements showed better agreement with pulmonary artery temperature than single ear themometry. Using the mean of two ear measurements improves the agreement and screening validity for detecting fever by rectal temperature. If temperature measurements are critical, esophageal measurements achieve excellent agreement with pulmonary artery temperatures.
Stavem
K
K
Department of Medicine, Central Hospital of Akershus, Nordbyhagen, Norway.
Saxholm
H
H
Smith-Erichsen
N
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001831:Body Temperature; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D004424:Ear Canal; D004947:Esophagus; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007259:Infrared Rays; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011651:Pulmonary Artery; D012007:Rectum; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013817:Thermography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013821:Thermometers / Q000592:standards*