Application criteria for infrared ear thermometers in pediatric surgery

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Saxena, A.K.^{a; *} | Topp S, S.^a | Heinecke, A.^b | Willital, G.H.^a

Affiliations: [a] Pediatric Surgical Clinic, University of Münster, Germany | [b] Institute for Medical Informatics, University of Münster, Germany

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Amulya K. Saxena MD, Klinik für Kinder- und Neugeborenenchirurgie, Westfälische Wilhelms Universität, Albert Schweitzer Strasse 33, D-48149 Münster, Germany. Tel.: +49 251 8347711; Fax: +49 251 8347716; E-mail: dr.saxena@usa.net.

Abstract: Fever is an important and sensitive indicator of infectious diseases in children. For the past decades, measurement of body temperature in routine medical practice was limited to oral, rectal and axillary sites. In infants and children, however, temperature measurements are further limited to the rectal and axillary sites due to technical and clinical considerations. In the field of pediatric surgery, pathological and surgical conditions of the ano-rectal area often further restrict the application of conventional rectal temperature measurements. The application of tympanic temperature measurements in such pediatric surgical pathologies provides a reliable alternative to conventional rectal temperature measurements. The pediatric surgical clinico-pathological states where ear temperature measurements are the only mode of accurate temperature determination have been identified. Tympanic thermometry is well tolerated by children and predicts temperature with relative accuracy within a few seconds.

DOI: 10.3233/THC-2001-9305

Journal: Technology and Health Care, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 281-285, 2001