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Application criteria for infrared ear thermometers in pediatric surgery
A K Saxena1, S Topp S, A Heinecke
1Pediatric Surgical Clinic, University of Münster, Germany. dr.saxena@usa.net
Insights
Tympanic thermometry offers a reliable alternative for measuring fever in children, especially when rectal or axillary methods are unsuitable due to pediatric surgical conditions. This method provides accurate temperature readings quickly and is well-tolerated by young patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Medical Thermometry
- Surgical Pathology
Background:
- Fever is a key indicator of infection in children.
- Traditional temperature measurement sites (oral, rectal, axillary) have limitations in infants and children.
- Pediatric surgical conditions, particularly ano-rectal pathologies, can preclude accurate rectal temperature measurement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate tympanic thermometry as a reliable alternative for fever detection in pediatric surgical patients.
- To identify specific pediatric surgical conditions where tympanic temperature measurement is the preferred method.
Main Methods:
- Utilized tympanic thermometry for temperature measurement in pediatric patients with relevant surgical conditions.
- Compared tympanic readings with other available methods where feasible.
Main Results:
- Tympanic thermometry was identified as a reliable alternative to conventional methods in specific pediatric surgical contexts.
- Accurate temperature determination was achieved rapidly using tympanic measurements.
- The method was well-tolerated by pediatric patients.
Conclusions:
- Tympanic thermometry is a valuable and accurate tool for assessing fever in children undergoing or affected by pediatric surgery.
- It overcomes limitations associated with rectal and axillary temperature measurements in challenging clinical scenarios.
- Ear temperature measurement offers a safe, quick, and reliable option for pediatric fever monitoring.
Abstract:
Fever is an important and sensitive indicator of infectious diseases in children. For the past decades, measurement of body temperature in routine medical practice was limited to oral, rectal and axillary sites. In infants and children, however, temperature measurements are further limited to the rectal and axillary sites due to technical and clinical considerations. In the field of pediatric surgery, pathological and surgical conditions of the ano-rectal area often further restrict the application of conventional rectal temperature measurements. The application of tympanic temperature measurements in such pediatric surgical pathologies provides a reliable alternative to conventional rectal temperature measurements. The pediatric surgical clinico-pathological states where ear temperature measurements are the only mode of accurate temperature determination have been identified. Tympanic thermometry is well tolerated by children and predicts temperature with relative accuracy within a few seconds.