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Postoperative temperature measurement.

T Heidenreich1, M Giuffre

  • 1School of Nursing, Wright State University, Dayton, OH.

Nursing Research
|May 1, 1990
PubMed
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This summary is machine-generated.

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Postoperative temperature measurement validity was assessed. Rectal mercury thermometers offer the highest accuracy, while electronic axillary thermometers are least reliable for monitoring core body temperature in surgical patients.

Area of Science:

  • Medical devices
  • Clinical thermometry
  • Postoperative care

Background:

  • Accurate core body temperature monitoring is crucial for postoperative patient management.
  • The axillary site is commonly used for temperature measurement, but its accuracy compared to core temperature is debated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the validity of axillary electronic and mercury thermometers against core body temperature in postoperative patients.
  • To compare the accuracy of different temperature measurement sites in the postoperative setting.

Main Methods:

  • 18 postoperative patients were enrolled.
  • Axillary electronic, axillary mercury, rectal mercury, and core body temperatures were recorded.
  • Correlation coefficients and average temperature differences were calculated.

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Main Results:

  • Rectal mercury temperatures showed excellent correlation with core temperatures (r = .98), averaging 0.5°C higher.
  • Axillary mercury thermometers (10-minute placement) demonstrated high correlation (r = .96) but were 0.2°C lower than core.
  • Electronic axillary thermometers exhibited the lowest correlation (r = .92) and were 0.6°C lower than core.
  • A negative correlation between age and postoperative core temperature (r = -.64) indicated increased susceptibility to hypothermia in the elderly.

Conclusions:

  • Rectal mercury thermometry is a valid and accurate method for assessing core body temperature in postoperative patients.
  • Axillary mercury thermometry can be considered a reasonably accurate alternative when core monitoring is not feasible.
  • Electronic axillary thermometry is the least reliable method for determining core body temperature in this population.
  • Elderly patients are at higher risk of postoperative hypothermia, necessitating vigilant temperature monitoring.