[Can measurement of oral or axillary temperature replace rectal temperature measurements?]

The Craftemp thermometer is an electrical device for measurement of oral and axillary temperatures. The applicability of this thermometer in clinical practice was investigated by comparison with rectal temperatures measured with a mercury thermometer. Ninety-five patients hospitalized in a medical department participated in the study. The median differences between rectal/oral and rectal/axillary temperatures were 0.8 degrees C and 1.2 degrees C, respectively. The range of the extrarectal measurements was unacceptably wide. In previous studies of the Craftemp thermometer, few investigators performed the temperature measurements on hospitalized patients and found the electrical thermometer usable. In the present investigation the measurements were performed by the permanent staff during their daily routine. It was concluded, that the oral and axillary temperatures measured with an electrical thermometer were unsuitable for determination of body temperature in patients hospitalized in a medical department.