• M Van Berkel, M C Jooren, A Timmermans, and E A van der Velde.
• Beatrix Ziekenhuis, afd. Interne Geneeskunde, Stichting Zorginstellingen Gorinchem.
• Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 1998 Sep 19; 142 (38): 2102-5.

ObjectiveTo compare the measurements of body temperature with the tympanic infrared thermometer and the digital rectal thermometer.DesignProspective, comparative.SettingBeatrix Hospital, Gorinchem, the Netherlands.Patients And MethodsA total of 2057 almost simultaneous measurements of rectal and tympanic temperature were performed in 164 patients in 9 different wards.ResultsThe mean difference between the two methods was 0.45 degree C with a standard deviation of 0.57 degree C. The tympanic temperature was lower than the rectal temperature. The differences ranged from -1.5 to 3.6 degrees C. The correlation coefficient was 0.69. If a rectal temperature > 37.8 degrees C was applied as the criterion of fever, the diagnosis was not made in 175/291 measuring moments (60%) with the tympanic thermometer. If a tympanic temperature > 37.8 degrees C was applied as the criterion of fever, the rectal thermometer failed to show fever in 16/132 measuring moments (12%).ConclusionThe low sensitivity of the tympanic measurement to establish fever renders the tympanic infrared thermometer unsuitable for use as a fever thermometer.

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