The relationship between axillary and core body temperature measurements

Area of Science:

• Medical Thermometry
• Clinical Temperature Monitoring

Background:

• Accurate core body temperature measurement is crucial for patient assessment.
• Axillary temperature is a commonly used, less invasive method.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy of axillary temperature measurements compared to core body temperature.
• To compare mercury-in-glass and electronic axillary thermometers.

Main Methods:

• Simultaneous measurement of core body temperature and axillary temperatures (mercury-in-glass and electronic).
• Study included 30 non-postoperative intensive care unit patients.
• Correlation and mean difference analyses were performed.

Main Results:

• High correlation between core and mercury-in-glass axillary temperatures (r=0.90).
• High correlation between core and electronic axillary temperatures (r=0.87).
• Small mean differences observed for both methods, with mercury-in-glass showing a smaller difference.

Conclusions:

• Axillary temperature measurement is an accurate indicator of core body temperature in non-postoperative patients.
• Mercury-in-glass thermometers offer greater precision for clinically significant small temperature variations.
• Axillary thermometry provides a reliable, non-invasive method for temperature monitoring.