Downton J H, Andrews K, Puxty J A
Age Ageing. 1987 Jan;16(1):41-4. doi: 10.1093/ageing/16.1.41.
Simultaneous oral, rectal and axillary temperatures were measured in 73 elderly patients on a geriatric unit. Axillary and oral temperatures were significantly lower than rectal readings. If oral or axillary temperatures alone had been measured, pyrexia would have been missed in two thirds of patients with a rectal temperature of 37.5 degrees C or more, and about three quarters of those with a rectal temperature of 38 degrees C or more. These findings suggest that oral or axillary temperature measurements are inadequate screening tests for pyrexia in the elderly.
对老年科的73名老年患者同时测量了口腔、直肠和腋窝温度。腋窝和口腔温度明显低于直肠温度读数。如果仅测量口腔或腋窝温度，三分之二直肠温度在37.5摄氏度及以上的患者以及约四分之三直肠温度在38摄氏度及以上的患者的发热情况将会被漏诊。这些发现表明，口腔或腋窝温度测量对于筛查老年人发热来说是不充分的检测方法。
