Study on the Body Temperature Measuring Time and Accuracy and Reliability of Tympanic Thermometer

Jeong, Ihn Sook; Yoo, Eun Jung

Abstract

This study was to investigate the method for shortening the body temperature(BT) because it takes a long time and is impractical to measure axillary or oral BT with mercury thermometer. The first approach was to identify BT change according to the measuring time and determine the clinically not statistically available and optimal BT measuring time. The second was to test the accuracy of tympanic thermometer. It can measure BT within a few seconds, so if it is approved accurate, we can save BT measuring time by substitute tympanic thermometer for mercury thermometer. This study was conducted from 1, to 30 June, 1996. The subjects were 12 men students of medical college and 29 women students of nursing school. The results were as follows ; 1) The 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 minute-measured axillary BT and 3, 5, 7, minute-measured BT showed somewhat linear relationship with time. It was difficult to find the optimum measuring time which were clinically significant. 2) For axillary temperature, the measuring time which were not statistically different was 11 and 13 minute. But the real BT difference between 3 and 13 minute, or between 5 and 13 minute were very small and was within the range of daily variation. 3) For oral temperature, there was no intervals which showed the statistically insignificant. But like as axillary temperature, the difference between 3 and 7, or 5 and 7 minute were trivial by 0.3degrees C and by 0.1degrees C respectively. 4) tympanic temperatures were lower than oral BTs which were measured with mercury thermometer by 0.26degrees C(with ear tug) and 0.15degrees C(without ear tug). 5) The reliability of repeated measure tympanic temperature was better than without ear tug. With above results, we can't determine the optimal and clinically significant oral and axillary measuring time using mercury thermometer. However, because the real differences between measuring times were very small, so we recommend further study for the aged, the infants and the febrile patients. And we can't sure the accuracy of tympanic temperature but the reliability was better with ear tug than without ear tug.