Are Temporal Artery Temperatures Accurate Enough to Replace Rectal Temperature Measurement in Pediatric ED Patients?

Autor: Christine Rodriguez, Marcia Reynolds, Anne Stanton, Laura Bonham, Cheryll Redel, Stephanie Sukosd, Marla Craft, Jessica Lowery, Suzanne Smith, Margaret Gueck, Katherine Hammond
Rok vydání: 2014
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Emergency Nursing. 40:46-50
ISSN: 0099-1767
DOI: 10.1016/j.jen.2012.07.007
Popis: Objective This study examined the accuracy of temporal artery and axillary temperatures compared with rectal temperatures in pediatric ED patients younger than 4 years. Methods A method-comparison study design was used to examine the agreement between a temporal artery or axillary thermometer and a nondisposable, rectal electronic thermometer, which is the clinical reference standard for temperature measurement in children. Temperatures were taken with each device in a convenience sample of stable, pediatric ED patients who were younger than 4 years. Bias and precision were calculated to quantify the differences between the 2 devices, as well as the percentage of temporal artery and axillary temperatures that were >±1.0°C and >±1.5°C higher or lower than the rectal temperature. Results A total of 52 pediatric ED patients were studied over a 10-month period. Bias and precision for the temporal artery and axillary devices were –0.46°C ± 0.50°C and –0.93°C ± 0.49°C, respectively. The percentage of temporal artery and axillary temperatures that were >±1.0°C and/or >±1.5°C above or below the clinical reference temperature were 15% and 6%, respectively, for the temporal artery thermometer and 39% and 14%, respectively, for the axillary thermometer. Discussion Bias and precision values for the temporal artery, but not the axillary temperature, were within the acceptable range set by experts to use as a noninvasive substitute for core body temperature measurements. If properly used by ED staff, temporal artery thermometers could be used to obtain temperature in pediatric patients younger than 4 years, thus avoiding physical and psychological discomfort for the child and parent associated with obtaining rectal thermometers.
Databáze: OpenAIRE