title: Tympanic membrane versus temporal artery temperatures of adult perianesthesia patients.
abstract: Reaching preoperative temperature stability is a critical discharge criterion afer anesthesia and surgery. Although numerous methods of measuring temperature exist, tympanic membrane (TM) thermometers have replaced oral thermometers in most perianesthesia units. With reliability of tympanic temperature readings being questioned in numerous reports and by many practitioners, the temporal artery (TA) thermometer has gained popularity among perianesthesia nurses for its noninvasive approach and ease of operation. A prospective study was undertaken to determine the ability of the TA thermometer to substitute for the TM thermometer in adult perianesthesia patients.
authors.affiliation: Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, Nashua, NH, USA. Sue.Fetzer@snhmc.org
authors.forename: Susan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Fetzer
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lawrence
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015982:Bias; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D016528:Postanesthesia Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013699:Temporal Arteries / Q000502:physiology; D013817:Thermography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing; D013821:Thermometers / Q000592:standards*; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000502:physiology