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Temperature taking: children's preferences

Joan Pickersgill1, Helen Fowler, Julie Boothman

  • 1Derbyshire Children's Hospital, Southern Derbyshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

Paediatric Nursing
|April 8, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Children aged 6-15 preferred tympanic thermometers over digital underarm ones. Tympanic thermometry was found to be quicker and more comfortable for pediatric patients, leading to its wider adoption.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nursing
  • Medical Device Technology
  • Patient Comfort Studies

Background:

  • Accurate temperature measurement is crucial in pediatric care.
  • Traditional digital underarm thermometry can be time-consuming and uncomfortable for children.
  • Evaluating patient preference for different thermometry methods is important for adherence and satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare children's preference between digital underarm and tympanic thermometers.
  • To assess the perceived speed and comfort of each thermometry method in pediatric patients.
  • To inform clinical practice regarding the optimal method for pediatric temperature measurement.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study involving children aged 6-15 years admitted to pediatric wards.
  • Participants were offered a choice between digital underarm and tympanic thermometers.
  • Data collected included patient preference and qualitative feedback on speed and comfort.

Main Results:

  • A significant majority preferred tympanic thermometry: 74% in the 6-10 year group (n=39) and 91% in the 11-15 year group (n=44).
  • Children consistently reported tympanic thermometers as quicker and more comfortable.
  • The findings support the use of tympanic thermometry as a preferred method.

Conclusions:

  • Tympanic thermometry is the preferred method for temperature measurement in children aged 6-15 years.
  • The preference is driven by perceived advantages in speed and comfort.
  • Clinical guidelines have been updated to prioritize tympanic thermometry for pediatric patients when medically appropriate.

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