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[Comparison of body temperatures in children measured using 3 different thermometers: tympanic, skin and digital
Nicolás Padilla-Raygoza1, M Laura Ruiz-Paloalto2, Rosalina Díaz-Guerrero1
1Departamento de Enfermería y Obstetricia, División de Ciencias de la Salud e Ingenierías, Campus Celaya Salvatierra, Universidad de Guanajuato, México.
Insights
Tympanic and digital axillary thermometers offer more precise body temperature readings in children compared to skin thermometers. This study compared three common thermometer types for pediatric use.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Medical Devices
- Clinical Thermometry
Background:
- Accurate body temperature measurement is crucial for diagnosing and managing pediatric illnesses.
- Various thermometers exist, but their comparative accuracy in children is not always well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the precision of tympanic, skin, and digital axillary thermometers for measuring body temperature in children.
- To evaluate the reliability of these thermometers in a pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 554 children aged 1 day to 16 years was conducted.
- Body temperatures were measured in triplicate using tympanic, skin, and digital axillary thermometers.
- Intra-observer and inter-observer reliability were assessed using Kappa statistics.
Main Results:
- Tympanic and digital axillary thermometers demonstrated a positive linear relationship in temperature readings (Pearson r: 0.57-0.65).
- Skin thermometers showed a weaker positive linear relationship with digital axillary thermometers (Pearson r: 0.47-0.52).
- All thermometer types exhibited good to excellent intra-observer and inter-observer reliability (Kappa: 0.67-0.86).
Conclusions:
- Tympanic and digital axillary thermometers are more precise for measuring body temperature in children than skin thermometers.
- Both tympanic and digital axillary thermometers offer reliable measurements for pediatric use.
Objective:
To compare body temperature measurements using tympanic, skin and digital axillary thermometers.
Method:
Hospitalized or outpatient children from the General Hospital Celaya, ISSSTE Hospital Clinic and General Hospital No. 4 IMSS, and the pediatric private service in Celaya, Guanajuato, from 1 day of life until 16 years old, were recruited over a one month period, after their parents signed the consent form. The order of each institution was selected by simple randomization. Body temperatures were measured in triplicate using tympanic, skin and digital axillary thermometers.
Results:
The sample consisted of 554 children. The Pearson r between the tympanic and digital axillary thermometers was 0.57 to 0.65, with a positive linear relationship (P<.05); between the skin and the digital axillary thermometers, it was between 0.47 and 0.52 with a positive linearrelationship (P<.05). The intra-observer Kappa for the tympanic thermometer was 0.86, and for the inter-observer was 0.77; for the skin thermometer it was 0.82 and 0.67, respectively, and for the digital axillary thermometer it was 0.86 for intra-observer reliability and 0.78 for inter -observer reliability.
Conclusion:
Tympanic and axillary thermometers showed better precision in measuring the body temperature in children than skin thermometers.
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