Comparison of esophageal, rectal, axillary, bladder, tympanic, and pulmonary artery temperatures in children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Anesthesiology
• Medical Thermometry
• Critical Care Monitoring

Background:

• Accurate core body temperature monitoring is crucial in pediatric anesthesia.
• Various methods exist, but their reliability in children remains a subject of investigation.
• Inconsistent temperature readings can impact clinical decisions and patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the most reliable site for core body temperature measurement in anesthetized children.
• To compare the accuracy of esophageal temperature readings against other common monitoring sites.
• To provide evidence-based recommendations for temperature monitoring in pediatric surgical settings.

Main Methods:

• Esophageal temperature probes were used in anesthetized children.
• Temperature readings were compared with simultaneous measurements from pulmonary artery, tympanic (Genius and IVAC), rectal, bladder, and axillary probes.
• Statistical analysis focused on mean differences and standard deviations between sites.

Main Results:

• Esophageal temperature readings demonstrated the smallest mean difference (0.1°C ± 0.5°C) compared to pulmonary artery temperature.
• Other sites showed larger discrepancies: tympanic thermometers (0.6-0.8°C ± 1.0°C), rectal probe (0.7°C ± 1.7°C), bladder probe (0.9°C ± 1.4°C), and axillary probe (1.3°C ± 1.3°C).
• Esophageal monitoring proved to be the most accurate and reliable method among those tested.

Conclusions:

• Esophageal temperature measurement is the most reliable method for monitoring core body temperature in anesthetized children.
• Clinical practice should consider esophageal probes for accurate temperature assessment in this population.
• Further research could explore esophageal temperature's utility in non-anesthetized pediatric settings.