• M Olivia Titus, Thomas Hulsey, Julie Heckman, and Joseph D Losek.
• Pediatric and Epidemiology Department, Charleston, South Carolina, USA. titusda@musc.edu
• Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2009 Mar 1;48(2):190-3.

ObjectiveTo determine the effectiveness of temporal artery thermometry (TAT) as an alternative for temperature assessment of children 1 to 4 years of age in the pediatric emergency department.MethodsProspective cross-sectional study conducted at an urban children's hospital emergency department. TAT and rectal temperatures are compared in a convenience sample of children 1 to 4 years of age. Comparison of the temperatures is performed using Pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis.ResultsTAT and rectal temperatures are measured in 42 children 1 to 4 years of age. TAT predicts 83% of rectal temperatures. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis shows that a cutoff of 37.7 degrees C or greater for fever in TAT is equivalent to rectal temperature greater than or equal to 38.3 degrees C with 100% sensitivity and 93.5% specificity.ConclusionTAT is an effective screening tool in identifying fever in children 1 to 4 years of age.

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