Evaluation of clinical thermometers for accuracy and reliability

The purpose of this study was to examine the accuracy and reliability of a wide range of clinical thermometry instruments and technologies. In a historical sense, the purpose of this study was to determine if the improvements in speed, ease of use, and safety realized in the last 100 years have been offset by a loss of accuracy and/or reliability. In view of current events, the purpose was to determine if the new generation of electronic, digital clinical thermometers could be used to replace the traditional glass/mercury thermometers. Nine clinical thermometers representing electronic, digital oral, and predictive oral; electronic, digital infrared tympanic; and liquid crystal urinary technologies were evaluated. Accuracy was determined by comparing the temperatures obtained from these test instruments with those of the reference, glass/mercury oral thermometer. Reliability was determined by test-retest evaluation. All of the thermometers evaluated were significantly less accurate when compared with the reference thermometer in this study. All of the test instruments significantly underestimated higher temperatures and overestimated lower temperatures. This study indicated that the improvements in safety, speed, and ease of use of the newer clinical thermometers have been offset by a loss in accuracy and reliability. It also indicated that the current generation of electronic, digital clinical thermometers, in general, may not be sufficiently accurate or reliable to replace the traditional glass/mercury thermometers.