[Measurement of tympanic temperature by infrared and thermocouple thermometry. A comparative study].

OBJECTIVE

To compare tympanic temperatures obtained with an infrared thermometer Core Check 2090A (IVAC), non in contact with the tympanic membrane, to values obtained with a thermocouple thermometer Mon-A-Therm (Mallinckrodt) in contact with it, and to assess whether the differences depend on the person measuring the temperature.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective comparative open study.

PATIENTS

The study included 150 adults in whom the tympanic temperatures were measured at their admission to recovery room by 10 nurse anaesthetists.

METHODS

Each thermometer was inserted in the same patient into an external acoustic meatus. The median and range of the temperature differences were used to assess the bias and the accuracy of the measures. Their reliability was analyzed with consideration of the measuring person and the presence of irrelevant values, defined as a temperature difference over 0.3 degrees C.

RESULTS

The temperatures obtained with both devices were similar (36.2 +/- 0.7 degrees C with IVAC thermometer vs 36.2 +/- 0.8 degrees C with Mallinckrodt thermometer). The median value of the differences was 0 degrees C, with a range of 2.5 degrees C (maximum value + 1.5 degrees C, minimum value: -1 degree C). Nineteen patients could be qualified as hypothermic (temperature < 36.5 degrees C) with one thermometer and normothermic (temperature > or = 36.5 degrees C) with the other. Among them, only 9 (6%) had temperature differences above 0.3 degrees C. The temperature differences were not different according to the measuring nurse. Nevertheless two of them obtained major differences or irrelevant figures.

CONCLUSIONS

As compared to the thermocouple thermometry, infrared thermometry has no bias but a low precision. The measurement error does not allow the recognition of hypothermia in 6% of patients. The error may be made by the measuring person and/or related to the anatomy and the patency of the external acoustic meatus. Tympanic infrared thermometry seems to be a convenient method for temperature measurements at short time intervals in the recovery room, provided its limitations are kept in mind.