Responses of Children, Parents, and Nurses to Tympanic Thermometry in the Pediatric Office

This study was designed to assess children's behavioral responses to tympanic thermometry. In addition, parents' and nurses' impressions of this new technology were evaluated. 224 patients were enrolled from three private pediatric practices. Patients were alternately assigned to have their temperature taken with either a tympanic thermometer or with a rectal or oral thermometer. Parents and nurses were then asked to fill out a short questionnaire to describe their observations of the child's behavior during temperature taking and to describe their own feelings about the temperature taking method used. Parents were also asked to assess their usual method of temperature taking at home and their child's usual behavioral response. Tympanic thermometry was rated higher by both parents and nurses for speed, ease, cleanliness, and safety. Parents and nurses were more confident in the accuracy of traditional temperature taking methods. Children whose temperatures were taken rectally were more likely to be observed by both parents (p = .02) and nurses (p = .01) to have a negative behavioral reaction to the procedure than children whose temperatures were taken by tympanic thermometry. There was no difference observed between the behavioral responses of children who had temperatures taken orally and those who had tympanic thermometry.