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Are infrared and thermistor thermometers interchangeable for measuring localized skin temperature?
Teresa J Kelechi1, Yvonne Michel, Jan Wiseman
1College of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. kelechtj@musc.edu
Abstract:
Localized skin temperature must be measured by accurate and reliable thermometers to effectively evaluate treatment outcomes, monitor changes, and predict potential complications. This study compared localized skin temperature measurements with a contact thermistor thermometer used as a reference standard and a noncontact infrared (IR) skin thermometer to determine their interchangeability with calculated Bland-Altman limits of agreement. Fifty-five adults ages 50 to 89 participated in the study in which data were collected in a climate-controlled room over 3 measurement periods, 1 week apart. The thermistor and IR thermometers were interchangeable with a limit of agreement of +/- 1.5 degrees C. This limit of agreement is acceptable as a reference standard for IR thermometers to measure localized skin temperature in clinical settings.
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