Temperature Measurements: Comparison of Different Thermometer Types for Patients With Cancer. 2018

Deborah Gates, and Victoria Horner, and Lindsey Bradley, and Takeya Fogle Sheperd, and Omena John, and Melinda Higgins
Emory University Hospital.

Accurate temperature measurement in patients with cancer is critical. Many patients are neutropenic; therefore, fever represents an oncologic emergency, and, in many cases, it can be the only indication of a life-threatening infection. Although oral thermometers most closely represent true core temperature, patients may have barriers to oral thermometry. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of two alternative, noninvasive thermometers (tympanic and temporal artery) by comparing them to an oral thermometer. A method-comparison study design was used. Each participant received three temperature measurements. The dependent variable was the difference in temperature between the test thermometers and the oral thermometer. The results suggest that neither of the test thermometers accurately represented core temperature, particularly in febrile patients. Both the tympanic and temporal artery thermometers became less accurate as oral temperature increased.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D009055 Mouth The oval-shaped oral cavity located at the apex of the digestive tract and consisting of two parts: the vestibule and the oral cavity proper. Oral Cavity,Cavitas Oris,Cavitas oris propria,Mouth Cavity Proper,Oral Cavity Proper,Vestibule Oris,Vestibule of the Mouth,Cavity, Oral
D009369 Neoplasms New abnormal growth of tissue. Malignant neoplasms show a greater degree of anaplasia and have the properties of invasion and metastasis, compared to benign neoplasms. Benign Neoplasm,Cancer,Malignant Neoplasm,Tumor,Tumors,Benign Neoplasms,Malignancy,Malignant Neoplasms,Neoplasia,Neoplasm,Neoplasms, Benign,Cancers,Malignancies,Neoplasias,Neoplasm, Benign,Neoplasm, Malignant,Neoplasms, Malignant
D001831 Body Temperature The measure of the level of heat of a human or animal. Organ Temperature,Body Temperatures,Organ Temperatures,Temperature, Body,Temperature, Organ,Temperatures, Body,Temperatures, Organ
D005260 Female Females
D005334 Fever An abnormal elevation of body temperature, usually as a result of a pathologic process. Pyrexia,Fevers,Pyrexias
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D012680 Sensitivity and Specificity Binary classification measures to assess test results. Sensitivity or recall rate is the proportion of true positives. Specificity is the probability of correctly determining the absence of a condition. (From Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed) Specificity,Sensitivity,Specificity and Sensitivity

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