Authors' recommendations: Correct and observer-independent use of infrared tympanic thermometry can be challenging in a clinical setting. Comparing temperature measurements of different body sites might also be problematic, because the measurements at different sites are all estimates for what we wish to know, the core temperature. Although rectal measurements are considered as reference standard in this review, we acknowledge that this is imperfect in many ways. This review shows that few studies have assessed the accordance between infrared tympanic and rectal thermometry in detecting and excluding fever. We found eight small studies that compared different types of infrared tympanic thermometers to rectal measurement. These studies generally showed that infrared tympanic thermometry had low sensitivity but high specificity in detecting and excluding rectal fever compared with rectal measurements. Since these results were based on few patients with elevated temperature, the sensitivity values are uncertain, as expressed by wide confidence intervals. Different cut off values for defining fever in these studies also contributes to uncertainty around sensitivity and specificity. There was no documentation on the diagnostic accuracy of temporal thermometry, and very few studies that compared oral and axillary thermometry with rectal thermometry. Given the widespread use of infrared tympanic thermometer, further documentation of diagnostic accuracy and repeatability of newer models used in a clinical setting is needed.

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: http://www.kunnskapssenteret.no/Publikasjoner/6875.cms?language=english&threepage=1

Year Published: 2009

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Norway

Organisation Name: Norwegian Institute of Public Health

Contact Address: Universitetsgata 2, Postbox 7004 St. Olavs plass, NO-0310 Oslo NORWAY. Tel: +47 23 25 50 00; Fax: +47 23 25 50 10;

Contact Name: Berit.Morland@nokc.no, dagny.fredheim@nokc.no

Contact Email: Berit.Morland@nokc.no, dagny.fredheim@nokc.no

Copyright: Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services (NOKC)