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Am J Perinatol 2017; 34(10): 1026-1031
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1601440
Original Article
Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc. 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA

Temporal Artery Temperature Measurement in the Neonate

Mashette E. Syrkin-Nikolau
1   Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
,
Karen J. Johnson
1   Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
,
Tarah T. Colaizy
1   Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
,
Ruthann Schrock
1   Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
,
Edward F. Bell
1   Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

01 November 2016

28 February 2017

Publication Date:
10 April 2017 (online)

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Abstract

Objective We compared an infrared temporal artery thermometer with our clinical standard axillary thermometer for temperature measurements in neonatal patients.

Study Design We measured temporal artery (Tta), axillary (Tax, clinical standard), and rectal (Tr, gold standard) temperatures of 49 infants. The difference between Tr and Tta was compared with that between Tr and Tax, and the data were analyzed based on bed type and postmenstrual age.

Results The mean Tta, Tax, and Tr were 37.16 (SD 0.36) °C, 36.61 (SD 0.30) °C, and 36.82 (SD 0.30) °C, respectively. The measurements by these methods were all significantly different. The mean Tr-Tax was 0.21 (SD 0.26) °C, and the mean Tr-Tta was −0.34 (SD 0.37) °C, indicating that Tax was closer to Tr than was Tta (p < 0.0001). Tta agreed more closely with Tr for infants in cribs than for those in incubators. Adjusting for bed type and body weight, with each week of postmenstrual age, the discrepancy between Tr-Tta and Tr-Tax decreased by 0.005°C (p = 0.034).

Conclusion Compared with the gold standard, Tr, Tta is not more accurate than Tax. The temporal artery thermometer was less accurate for infants in incubators than for infants in cribs. The accuracy of temporal artery temperature increased with postmenstrual age.

Keywords

temporal artery temperature - axillary temperature - rectal temperature - neonate - infant

Note

The authors thank the patients who participated and their parents, who granted consent for their participation. The authors thank Frank H. Morriss, Jr., MD, for advice about the Bland-Altman analysis. Ms. Syrkin-Nikolau was supported by a summer research fellowship from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, which was funded by NIH grant T35 HL007485. This work was also supported by grant UL1 RR024979, awarded from the NIH to support the University of Iowa Institute for Clinical and Translational Science. The temporal artery thermometer was purchased by the investigators and not provided by the manufacturer, who had no knowledge of the study or its results.