The continuing question of how best to measure body temperature
Erickson, R.S.
Critical Care Medicine 27(10): 2307-2310
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0090-3493 PMID: 10548236 Document Number: 7761
Everyday methods of clinical temperature measurement are more complex than they may at first seem. Measurement accuracy is affected by many variables, only some of which can be controlled. Among those is measurement technique, which emphasizes the importance of proper operator training, particularly in regard to probe placement at the measurement site. When selecting a thermometer, clinicians must be aware of tradeoffs between speed and convenience on one hand and measurement variability on the other. For example, fast-reading ear thermometers are useful tools to screen for fever, but when critical and potentially risky treatment decisions must be made, confirmation with other methods should be considered. The answer to the question of how best to measure body temperature is far from complete. The need remains for carefully designed well-controlled studies to sort out the available methods, the extent to which extraneous variables affect them, and their applicability to patients in different age groups and clinical circumstances.
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