Pediatric temperature measurement and child/parent/nurse preference using three temperature measurement instruments

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Medical Devices
• Clinical Thermometry

Background:

• Accurate temperature measurement is crucial in pediatric care.
• Traditional axillary thermometers may lack precision.
• Exploring advanced thermometry methods is essential for improved patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the accuracy of tympanic thermometers against electronic and chemical dot axillary thermometers.
• To evaluate preferences for different temperature measurement devices and sites among children, parents, and nurses.
• To assess the agreement between various thermometry methods using the Bland-Altman analysis.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 146 children.
• Temperature measurements were taken using tympanic, electronic axillary, and chemical dot axillary thermometers.
• Preference data were collected from child participants, parents, and nurses.
• Bland-Altman method was employed for agreement analysis.

Main Results:

• Most paired temperature readings were within the Bland-Altman limits of agreement.
• Tympanic thermometer readings showed closer agreement with electronic axillary readings compared to chemical dot axillary readings.
• Chemical dot axillary thermometers consistently recorded higher temperatures than electronic axillary thermometers.
• The tympanic thermometer was the preferred device across all groups: children, parents, and nurses.

Conclusions:

• Tympanic thermometers offer a more accurate and preferred method for pediatric temperature measurement compared to axillary electronic and chemical dot thermometers.
• The tympanic method demonstrates better agreement with established electronic axillary measurements.
• Clinical practice may benefit from adopting tympanic thermometry for improved accuracy and user satisfaction in pediatric settings.