Authors (including presenting author) :
Chan WY, Yeung CH, Lok CF, Lai SW, Tse SM, Wong CY, Yeung YM, Li KY
Affiliation :
Department of Rehabilitation & Extended Care, Wong Tai Sin Hospital
Introduction :
Body temperature, one of the vital signs, indicates patient’s health status. To measure body temperature, there are several common sites: oral, axillary, rectal and tympanic membrane. Some literatures indicated that there was no significant difference between using tympanic membrane and axillary thermometers (Gasim, Musa, Abdien & Adam, 2013). And also they had positive correlation (León, Rodriguez, Fernández & Flores, 2005).
Objectives :
To validate the reliability and accuracy of tympanic membrane thermometry compared with both oral and axillary thermometry to see whether tympanic membrane thermometry can be an alternative temperature measurement for the geriatric patients.
Methodology :
Patients admitted to a convalescent ward between 10/05/19 and 30/06/19 who met the following inclusion criteria were included under convenience sampling method. The inclusion criteria were age ≥ 65; body Mass Index greater than 18.9; and no documented or found to have otitis media, ear drainage, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, vernix, ear wax plugs, or foreign bodies in the ear canal. Patients were divided into two groups, one group was measured the oral and tympanic membrane temperatures simultaneously, while the other group was measured the axillary and tympanic membrane temperatures at the same time. Infrared thermometers were used for the tympanic membrane measurement and electronic thermometers were used for the oral and axillary measurement in this study. While measuring the tympanic membrane temperature, each of the left and right ears was taken readings three times. The body temperature was taken when the patient woke up in the morning. Otherwise, the temperature was measured after 30 minutes the patients taking fluid or food.
Result & Outcome :
Thirty-five patients (26 males, 9 females) were included in the first group of study which was measured the axillary and tympanic membrane temperatures simultaneously. Both right and left tympanic membrane thermometry had a positive correlation with axillary thermometer (r=0.526 and r=0.551 respectively, p< 0.01). Thirty patients (18 males, 12 females) were included in the other group which was measured the oral and tympanic membrane temperatures at the same time. There was also a positive correlation between body temperature using oral and both ear tympanic methods (right ear r=0.603 & left ear r=0.554, p< 0.01). To conclude, there was a positive correlation using axilla, oral and tympanic methods to measure body temperatures. Therefore, tympanic membrane thermometry is appropriate as an alternative method of body temperature measurement for the geriatric patients.
