Rectal Thermometers to be Replaced in Pediatric Settings
WATERTOWN, MA – A recent study published by Pediatric Emergency Care (1) found that “temporal artery temperature correlated best with core temperature in both febrile and afebrile patients.” The study was conducted in the pediatric emergency room of a tertiary care hospital. The study authors concluded: “Temporal artery thermometry has the potential to replace rectal thermometry in busy emergency room settings.”
The study was undertaken to compare different methods of temperature measurement available in the emergency room to determine the method that most accurately correlates with rectal temperature, which until now was the method that most accurately reflected core body temperature. The methods used in the study include rectal, axillary, tympanic and temporal artery thermometry. Fifty febrile and 50 afebrile children ages 2-12 years visiting the pediatric emergency room were tested, with temperatures taken using each of the aforementioned methods. The Exergen TemporalScanner was able to predict rectal temperature in 49 of 50 febrile patients and 45 of 50 afebrile patients within the range of 0.2 C, resulting in correlation coefficient of 0.99 in the febrile group and 0.91 in the afebrile group, the highest scores of any of the thermometry methods.
The study determined that temporal artery thermometry is more accurate and acceptable than tympanic membrane and axillary thermometry in predicting rectal temperature. The many disadvantages tied to using rectal thermometers, including the risk of cross contamination, make temporal artery thermometers the safest, most accurate temperature taking method.
“This clinical data supports what we have known for years – temporal artery thermometers should replace rectal thermometers for medical professionals throughout the world, as well as in the home,” said Dr. Francesco Pompei, CEO of Exergen Corporation. “Using a temporal thermometer will significantly increase the level of patient comfort, as well as the overall patient experience, both of which are of the utmost importance to both medical professionals and patients. This scientific evidence is another positive step towards eliminating the use of rectal thermometers in all medical settings.”
Exergen markets two models of the TemporalScanner thermometer: a professional version for doctors’ offices and hospitals, and a consumer model sold in major retailers nationwide. More than one billion temperatures are taken each year with the TemporalScanner. It is used in thousands of hospitals, clinics and pediatricians’ offices across the country, as well as in millions of homes. For the third year in a row it is the #1 selling retail thermometer and #1 preference of pediatricians in the US. The Exergen TemporalScanner’s performance is supported by more than 50 peer-reviewed published studies covering all ages from preterm infants to geriatrics and all care areas from hospitals to homes. For additional information, visit www.exergen.com.
(1) Batra P, Goyal S. Comparison of rectal, axillary, tympanic, and temporal artery thermometry in the pediatric emergency room. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2013 Jan;29(1):63-6. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0b013e31827b5427.
