Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare temperature measurements from glass/mercury thermometers to Tempa.Dot Single-Use Clinical Thermometer, B-D Digital Fever Thermometer, Mon-a-Therm Model 1000 Skin Temperature Monitor, IVAC CORE.CHECK Tympanic Thermometer, and IncuTemp3 radiant warmer skin temperature sensor measurements. The effects of ten environmental, developmental, and pharmacological factors on thermometer readings were also assessed.
Design: The design was descriptive.
Sample: The convenience sample included 220 infants > or = 1,500 gm (average weight of 2,715 +/- 743 gm). Average age was 17 +/- 22 days of life.
Main outcome variable: The outcomes were comparisons between the "reference" axillary glass/mercury thermometer readings and axillary, skin, and tympanic measurements obtained from other thermometers.
Results: The B-D Digital Fever thermometer had the highest correlation with the glass/mercury thermometer for axillary temperature. Tempa.DOT measurements showed the next highest correlation with the glass/mercury thermometer measurements. Tympanic temperature measured by CORE.CHECK was moderately correlated with the glass/mercury thermometer measurement. Skin temperatures were influenced by nesting, clothing, swaddling, and probe site placement. Tympanic readings showed effects of bed type and environmental temperature.