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Related Experiment Videos

Temperature measurement in term and preterm neonates.

S R Mayfield, J Bhatia, K T Nakamura

    The Journal of Pediatrics
    |February 1, 1984
    PubMed
    Summary

    Accurate infant body temperature measurement is crucial. While axillary and skin-mattress temperatures are reliable, core temperature deviations may be missed by other methods in term infants.

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    Area of Science:

    • Neonatal Medicine
    • Pediatric Thermoregulation
    • Clinical Measurement

    Background:

    • Accurate monitoring of body temperature in neonates is critical for clinical decision-making.
    • Discrepancies in measurement sites can affect the assessment of infant thermoregulation.
    • Understanding temperature gradients is essential for evaluating thermal stability in newborns.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To compare the accuracy and reliability of different body temperature measurement sites in term and preterm infants.
    • To evaluate the potential for misclassification of thermoregulatory status based on peripheral measurements.
    • To assess the time required for stabilization of temperature readings at various sites.

    Main Methods:

    • Simultaneous measurement of infant body temperature at four sites: core, rectal, axillary, and skin-mattress.
    • Inclusion of 99 term and 44 preterm infants in the study cohort.
    • Utilized electronic telethermometer for core temperature and mercury-in-glass thermometer for rectal temperature.

    Main Results:

    • Temperatures measured at core, rectal, axillary, and skin-mattress sites showed close agreement in normothermic infants.
    • Peripheral measurements (rectal, axillary, skin-mattress) could misclassify abnormal core temperatures in a significant proportion of term infants.
    • Preterm infants exhibited lower temperatures and reduced core-surface gradients due to less subcutaneous fat.
    • Axillary temperature proved as reliable as standard rectal measurements.
    • Skin-mattress temperature measurement demonstrated comparable accuracy to other methods.
    • Temperature stabilization occurred within 5 minutes for 90% of readings across all sites and methods.

    Conclusions:

    • Axillary and skin-mattress temperature measurements are reliable alternatives to rectal thermometry in neonates.
    • Care must be taken when interpreting peripheral temperatures in term infants, as core temperature abnormalities may be masked.
    • Preterm infants have a diminished core-surface temperature gradient, influencing temperature measurement interpretation.

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