Biomaterial Database

Estimation of contact tympanic membrane temperature with a noncontact infrared thermometer. 1997

T E Terndrup, and D J Crofton, and A J Mortelliti, and R Kelley, and J Rajk

Department of Emergency Medicine, State University of New York Health Science Center at Syracuse, 13210, USA. terndrut@vax.cs.hscsyr.edu

OBJECTIVE To investigate the agreement between contact tympanic membrane (TM) and noncontact infrared ear thermometers in children. METHODS Twenty-three children (ages .5 to 10 years) undergoing elective tympanostomy tube placement were studied. An assistant used standard technique to record temperature with an infrared ear thermometer before and after TM temperature was obtained with a bead thermistor placed against the anterior-inferior quadrant of the TM. RESULTS Mean temperatures were not significantly different: initial IR ear, 36.66 degrees +/-.33 degrees C; TM, 36.71 degrees +/- .42 degrees C; final infrared ear, 36.57 degrees +/- .33 degrees C. The mean bias (difference between initial individual IR ear and TM temperatures) of -.05 degrees +/-.29 degrees C and the 95% limits of agreement of +.53 degrees to -.63 degrees C indicate an acceptable confidence (error range within 3.2% of average TM temperature) for use of the initial infrared ear temperature as an estimate of TM temperature. CONCLUSIONS The IR ear thermometer provides an accurate estimate of TM temperature in healthy children and may accurately reflect core body temperature.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D007259	Infrared Rays	That portion of the electromagnetic spectrum usually sensed as heat. Infrared wavelengths are longer than those of visible light, extending into the microwave frequencies. They are used therapeutically as heat, and also to warm food in restaurants.	Heat Waves,Heat Wave,Infrared Ray,Ray, Infrared,Rays, Infrared,Wave, Heat,Waves, Heat
D008297	Male		Males
D008876	Middle Ear Ventilation	Ventilation of the middle ear in the treatment of secretory (serous) OTITIS MEDIA, usually by placement of tubes or grommets which pierce the TYMPANIC MEMBRANE.	Grommet Insertion,Tympanostomy Tube Insertion,Ventilation, Middle Ear,Myringostomy,Tympanostomy,Ear Ventilation, Middle,Ear Ventilations, Middle,Grommet Insertions,Insertion, Grommet,Insertion, Tympanostomy Tube,Insertions, Grommet,Insertions, Tympanostomy Tube,Middle Ear Ventilations,Myringostomies,Tube Insertion, Tympanostomy,Tube Insertions, Tympanostomy,Tympanostomies,Tympanostomy Tube Insertions,Ventilations, Middle Ear
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
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013696	Temperature	The property of objects that determines the direction of heat flow when they are placed in direct thermal contact. The temperature is the energy of microscopic motions (vibrational and translational) of the particles of atoms.	Temperatures
D013821	Thermometers	Measuring instruments for determining the temperature of matter. Most thermometers used in the field of medicine are designed for measuring body temperature or for use in the clinical laboratory. (From UMDNS, 1999)	Thermometer