Comparison of infrared thermometer with thermocouple for monitoring skin temperature.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that the infrared thermometer (Genius) is comparably useful with thermocouples that are routinely used for skin temperature monitoring.


METHODS
Prospective, controlled, not blinded study.


METHODS
Operating room of a university hospital.


METHODS
Ten healthy male volunteers.


METHODS
Volunteers were minimally clothed and were initially warmed by a forced air warmer until they became vasodilated at the finger and the foot for approximately 30 mins. Subsequently, they were kept in the room with no blanket.


RESULTS
Skin temperatures were measured continuously with the Mon-a-Therm thermocouple and were also measured with the Genius thermometer just before and after the warming and subsequently every 10 mins for 70 mins. Forearm and finger-tip skin temperatures and skin-surface temperature gradients (from arm to finger and from calf to toe) measured by the Genius thermometer were compared with those measured by the Mon-a-Therm thermocouple using linear regression and Bland and Altman statistics. Forearm temperature and finger-tip temperature ranged from approximately 31 degrees to approximately 36.5 degrees C (87.8-97.7 degrees F) and approximately 22.5 degrees to approximately 36 degrees C (72.5-96.8 degrees F), respectively. Gradients (from arm to finger and from calf to toe) ranged from approximately -3 degrees to approximately 10 degrees C (26.6-50.0 degrees F) and approximately -3 degrees to approximately 11 degrees C (26.6-51.8 degrees F), respectively. Correlations between the temperatures measured by the Genius thermometer and those by the Mon-a-Therm thermocouple were similar and reliable. The correlation coefficients were as follows: 0.78 at forearm, 0.97 at finger-tip, and 0.97 at skin-surface temperature gradients.


CONCLUSIONS
The infrared thermometer with a special probe is useful to measure the change of skin-surface temperatures and to evaluate the severity of shock in patients.
Matsukawa
T
T
Department of Anesthesia, Yamanashi Medical University, Japan. takashim@res.yamanashi-med.ac.jp
Ozaki
M
M
Nishiyama
T
T
Imamura
M
M
Kumazawa
T
T
D000328:Adult; D001775:Blood Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D005385:Fingers / Q000098:blood supply*; D005542:Forearm / Q000098:blood supply*; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012769:Shock / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D012881:Skin Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D013817:Thermography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D013821:Thermometers / Q000592:standards*; D013997:Time Factors