Biomaterial Database

Comparison of rectal, axillary, and forehead temperatures. 1996

F Shann, and A Mackenzie

Goroka Base Hospital, Papua New Guinea.

OBJECTIVE To assess whether axillary and forehead temperatures accurately reflect the rectal temperature (the criterion standard) METHODS Prospective study with calculation of paired axillary-rectal and forehead-rectal temperature differences and their SDs. METHODS Referral hospital. METHODS Convenience sample of 120 patients, with 20 patients in each of six age groups (ie, < 1 month, 1 to 5 months, 6 to 11 months, 12 to 23 months, 2 to 14 years, and adults) RESULTS In newborns, the rectal temperature was equal to the axillary temperature plus 0.2 degrees C for each week of age up to 5 weeks; forehead strip thermometers gave inaccurate readings in this age group. In patients older than 1 month, the mean difference (SD) between the rectal and axillary temperatures was 1.04 degrees C (0.45 degrees C); thus the axillary temperature was adjusted by adding 1 degree C, and no adjusted axillary temperature differed from the rectal temperature by more than 1 degree C. The mean difference (SD) between the forehead temperature that was measured by the best forehead liquid crystal strip thermometer (FeverScan) and the rectal temperature was 0.14 degrees C (0.60 degrees C); 10 forehead temperatures differed from the rectal temperature by more than 1 degree C. CONCLUSIONS Previous studies that have suggested that axillary and forehead temperatures do not provide a reliable guide to the rectal temperature have all used inappropriate methods of analysis (correlation coefficients or sensitivity and specificity); previous studies that have based their conclusions on the correct method of analysis (paired differences and their SDs) have all found that the axillary temperature gives a good indication of the rectal temperature. The axillary temperature can be measured safely at any age, and the axillary temperature plus 1 degree C is a good guide to the rectal temperature in patients older than 1 month. Forehead strip thermometers are easy to use, but they do not estimate the rectal temperature as accurately as the axillary temperature does.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D011446	Prospective Studies	Observation of a population for a sufficient number of persons over a sufficient number of years to generate incidence or mortality rates subsequent to the selection of the study group.	Prospective Study,Studies, Prospective,Study, Prospective
D012007	Rectum	The distal segment of the LARGE INTESTINE, between the SIGMOID COLON and the ANAL CANAL.	Rectums
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
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D004581	Electronics	The study, control, and application of the conduction of ELECTRICITY through gases or vacuum, or through semiconducting or conducting materials. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed)	Electronic
D005546	Forehead	The part of the face above the eyes.	Foreheads
D005898	Glass	Hard, amorphous, brittle, inorganic, usually transparent, polymerous silicate of basic oxides, usually potassium or sodium. It is used in the form of hard sheets, vessels, tubing, fibers, ceramics, beads, etc.