Study Finds Temperature-Taking Methods Are Not Interchangeable

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 19 Jul 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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While various methods for taking a patient's temperature exist, the devices do not all produce identical or even similar values. Substituting one method for another could lead to erroneous decisions for treating temperature spikes and drops. A study in the June 2008 issue of MEDSURG Nursing compares noninvasive temperature measurement devices with an oral electronic thermometer.

Tracie Frommelt and co-authors evaluated the following temperature devices:

-- Oral electronic temperature: Measures temperature orally and was used as the reference standard.
-- Oral disposable temperature: A heat-sensitive paper-strip device that can be thrown away. Staff reads the temperature by interpreting dots that represent different temperature levels.
-- Tympanic temperature: Measures temperature via the ear canal.
-- Temporal artery temperature: Infrared device that reads across the forehead until it rests on the temporal artery.

Frommelt and co-authors found significant variations in temperature between each of the test devices (oral disposable, tympanic and temporal artery) and the oral electronic thermometer. The tympanic thermometer showed the greatest variation from the oral electronic device, and the authors do not recommend using this device to monitor hospitalized patients.

The oral disposable and temporal artery thermometers showed smaller differences than the tympanic thermometer, however the authors say the differences were still statistically significant and they recommend limited use of these devices.

"Accuracy of Different Devices to Measure Temperatures"
Tracie Frommelt, BSN, RN; Colleen Ott, BSN, RNC; Victoria Hays, MSN, RN, CNS, APRN-BC
MEDSURG Nursing; June 2008; www.medsurgnurse.org

MEDSURG Nursing - The Journal of Adult Health