ACCURACY OF NON-CONTACT INFRARED THERMOMETRY VERSUS RECTAL THERMOMETRY IN YOUNG CHILDREN EVALUATED IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT FOR FEVER

作者：Fortuna Ezio L^*; Carney Michele M; Macy Michelle; Stanley Rachel M; Younger John G; Bradin Stuart A

来源：Journal of Emergency Nursing, 2010, 36(2): 101-104.

DOI：10.1016/j.jen.2009.07.017

• Rectal thermometry
• Non-contact infrared

Objective: We evaluated the accuracy of a non-contact infrared thermometer compared with a rectal thermometer.
Methods: Two hundred patients, ages 1 month to 4 years, were included in the study. Each child underwent contemporaneous standard rectal thermometry and mid forehead non-contact infrared thermometry. Clinical features, including chief complaint, recently administered antipyretic agents, and ambient temperature at the time of measurement, were included.
Analysis: Linear models were used to compare agreement between the 2 techniques, as well as to determine bias of infrared thermometry at different rectal temperatures. Multivariate linear models were used to evaluate the impact of clinical variables and ambient temperature.
Results: A linear relationship between rectal and infrared temperature measurements was observed; however, the coefficient of determination (r(2)) value between was only 0.48 (P < 0.01). Infrared thermometry tended to overestimate the temperature of afebrile children and underestimate the temperature of febrile patients (P < .01). Ambient temperature and child age did not affect the accuracy of the device.
Conclusion: In this study, non-contact infrared thermometry did not sufficiently agree with rectal thermometer to indicate its routine use.