Clinical nurse specialist CNS
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Comparative Study
Comparison of the oral thermometer versus the tympanic thermometer.
After the use of tympanic thermometers replaced the use of oral thermometers at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Memphis, the nursing staff initiated a comparison study of the two instruments, monitoring 160 temperature readings. Current studies demonstrate that tympanic thermometers give presumably higher temperature readings than do oral thermometers. ⋯ It may be premature to conclude that the oral thermometer is not as accurate as the tympanic thermometer. Removal of this proven oral system may need to be evaluated, and further comparison studies should be conducted before the tympanic thermometer is unconditionally embraced as the more accurate of the two.