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Reliability of infra-red tympanic thermometry (ITT)
1Department of Physical Education and Dance, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, USA.
Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine
|March 1, 1996
Summary
Infrared tympanic thermometers provide reliable patient temperature readings for individual users. However, variations between different testers and instruments necessitate careful consideration when comparing data.
Area of Science:
- Medical Devices
- Clinical Thermometry
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Accurate patient temperature measurement is crucial in diverse clinical settings.
- Quantifying measurement reliability is essential for data confidence.
- Infrared tympanic thermometers offer a quick and convenient method for temperature assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability of temperature measurements obtained using infrared tympanic membrane thermometers.
- To assess intra-tester, inter-tester, and inter-instrument reliability.
Main Methods:
- The study involved 44 college students.
- Two types of infrared tympanic thermometers (ThermoScan Pro-1 and FirstTemp Genius) were used.
- Temperature measurements were taken by two independent investigators, each using both instruments.
Main Results:
- Statistically significant differences were observed between testers and between instruments.
- Intra-tester reliability was high (coefficients of variation < 2%).
- Correlations between testers were moderate to high, while within-instrument correlations varied.
Conclusions:
- Individual investigators can achieve reliable temperature measurements with the tested infrared tympanic thermometers.
- Inter-tester and inter-instrument variability must be acknowledged when interpreting or comparing temperature data.