The accuracy of a new infrared ear thermometer in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the equivalency of the prototype of a new infrared ear thermometer (IRT 4000) in comparison to the temperature measurements of a pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) and a continual contact probe on the tympanic membrane.


METHODS
After approval by the local Ethics Committee, 26 (six female and 20 male) patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery were included in a single center open trial. During surgery, temperature measurements were recorded with the IRT 4000 in the left ear, and with a tympanic contact probe in the right ear, as well as with a PAC as reference. Measurements with the infrared ear thermometers and continual PAC values were recorded every six minutes.


RESULTS
The average temperature measured with the IRT 4000 was 0.08 degrees C above the temperature of the PAC (95% confidence interval from -0.44-0.61 degrees C).


CONCLUSIONS
Infrared ear thermometers 4000 temperature readings accurately reflect body core temperature and correlate well with the invasive PAC. Infrared ear thermometers may present a clinically useful alternative to the pulmonary artery thermometry for the measurement of core temperature in the perioperative setting or in the intensive care unit.
Bock
Matthias
M
Department of Anesthesiology, University of Heidelberg, Germany. matthias.bock@asbz.it
Hohlfeld
Uta
U
von Engeln
Kristine
K
Meier
Peter A
PA
Motsch
Johann
J
Tasman
Abel J
AJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007259:Infrared Rays; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013821:Thermometers; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000502:physiology*