title: [Usefulness of a noncontact continuous tympanic thermometer in patients undergoing cardiac surgery using an artificial heart-lung machine].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most of the thermometers used during operations are invasive and non-hygienic. The usefulness of a noncontact continuous tympanic thermometer under general anesthesia has been reported. We evaluated the usefulness of a noncontact continuous tympanic thermometer in patients undergoing cardiac surgery using an artificial heart-lung machine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients scheduled to undergo cardiac surgery using an artificial heart-lung machine were selected for this study. After induction of general anesthesia, thermistor probes were inserted into the rectum and esophagus for measurements of rectal and esophageal temperatures, respectively. A noncontact continuous tympanic thermometer was inserted into the ear canal on the right side. These temperatures were monitored and recorded at one-minute intervals. Regression analysis and Bland-Altman analysis were used to compare the data (tympanic/rectal temperatures) with esophageal temperature as a core temperature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tympanic temperature showed a good correlation with esophageal temperature (r=0.983, P<0.05). Rectal temperature also showed a good correlation with esophageal temperature (r=0.923, P<0.05), but the coefficient of correlation was low compared to that of tympanic temperature. The mean difference between tympanic temperature and esophageal temperature was -0.022 degrees C, and standard deviation (SD) was 0.395 degrees C. The mean difference between rectal temperature and esophageal temperature was -0.299 degrees C, and standard deviation (SD) was 0.838 degrees C.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A noncontact continuous tympanic thermometer is useful for measurement of core temperature during cardiac surgery using an artificial heart-lung machine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Asahikawa City Hospital, Asahikawa 078-0029.
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamagishi
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Toyama
authors.forename: Fuminori
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tobise
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ichimiya
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D004947:Esophagus / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006355:Heart-Lung Machine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative / Q000379:methods*; D012007:Rectum / Q000502:physiology; D013821:Thermometers; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000502:physiology*