Axillary, Tympanic, and Temporal Thermometry Comparison in a Community Hospital Pediatric Unit

Accurate temperature assessment in pediatric practice is of critical importance when diagnosing, treating, and monitoring illness. No official standardized clinical research identifies a thermometry measurement method meeting all practice needs for all combined pediatric ages and practice settings. We conducted an IRB-approved research study in 140 Pediatric Unit patients and examined the Exergen Temporal Scanner™ (TAT)-5000 compared to the current practices of axillary thermometry for newborn infants (ages 0 to 3 months), and tympanic thermometry for children and adolescents (3 months to 21 years old). Patient and room temperatures, demographic data, and clinical data were collected. Paired sample t tests and Bland-Altman analyses were used to examine thermometry differences and define statistical equivalence between thermometry methods. Mean axillary (98.06°F) and TAT (98.92°F) temperatures in newborns were significantly different [t (52) = -9.33, p