• J Van Westing and C W Clinton.
• Postoperative Intensive Care Unit, Department of Anaesthesiology, Johannesburg Hospital.
• S Afr J Surg. 2001 Nov 1; 39 (4): 133-6.

ObjectiveThe value of thermistor-bearing urinary catheters has not been extensively investigated in the postoperative period. This study compared thermistor-bearing urinary catheters with pulmonary artery catheters as a means of measuring core temperature during and following general anaesthesia in patients undergoing aortic aneurysmectomy.MethodsInformation was obtained from 16 patients divided into two equal groups; one group provided intra-operative data, and the other group postoperative data. Simultaneous temperature measurements were obtained from each of the catheters at specific time intervals--every 10 minutes for the duration of anaesthesia and every 30 minutes for 10 hours during the postoperative period.ResultsAgreement between the two catheters and the accuracy and precision of the intravesical catheter with regard to the pulmonary artery catheter were determined. Clinically acceptable limits of agreement between the two methods of measurement were noted, although the limits of agreement were somewhat better for the postoperative period. During the early intra-operative period the intravesical catheter tended to over-read the pulmonary artery catheter, the largest mean difference being +0.3 degree C. During the postoperative period the intravesical catheter either under-read or over-read the pulmonary artery catheter, depending on whether core temperature was rising or falling. Mean differences varied from +0.2 degree C to -0.1 degree C. However, neither during the intra-operative nor the postoperative periods were statistically significant differences noted between the two measurement methods.ConclusionThe study indicates that in patients undergoing aortic aneurysmectomy, the thermistor-bearing urinary catheter is a clinically acceptable measure of core temperature during and following general anaesthesia.

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