Paediatrics and international child health
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Paediatr Int Child Health · Aug 2013
Comparative StudyA comparative study of rectal tympanic and axillary thermometry in febrile children under 5 years of age in Nigeria.
Fever alone accounts for over 25% of paediatric emergency room consultations. Accurate determination of temperature is critical for the management of sick children by both parents and health care-providers. ⋯ Mean (SD) rectal temperature was 38.8 (0.7)°C, and mean (SD) tympanic and axillary temperatures were 38.7 (0.7)°C and 38.1 (0.7)°C, respectively. There was no significant difference between rectal and tympanic temperatures (P = 0.14), and a strong correlation was identified between values from these two sites (r = 0.91). At 91.5%, the sensitivity of tympanic thermometry in determining fever was higher than that of axillary measurements (54.0%). A mathematical relationship was demonstrated between rectal/tympanic temperatures and between rectal/axillary temperatures as follows: Rectal temperature (°C) = 6.03+0.85 * Mean tympanic temperature (°C) Rectal temperature (°C) = 11.7+0.71 * Axillary temperature (°C) Conclusion: In febrile children, tympanic temperature better reflects rectal temperature than does axillary temperature; tympanic temperature should therefore be measured when there are no contra-indications for its use.