Temperature Measurement in Critical Care Adults: A Comparison of Thermometry and Measurement Routes

PURPOSE: To describe within- and between-subject mean differences between and among temperature sites (oral, axilla, PA) and instruments. METHODS: A convenience sample (N = 35) of volunteering, adult (> or = 18 years), 1st-day postcardiac surgery inpatients was obtained. Temperature-sensing instruments included Geratherm DataTherm and SolarTherm, and Abbott Opticath fiber optic PA catheters. For 21 min, simultaneous temperature readings (degrees C) at 4 temperature sites with 3 thermometry devices were monitored. RESULTS: Mean difference at 21 min PA and between DataTherm axilla and PA = 0.72 degrees C (SD 0.30); between PA and SolarTherm oral = 0.62 degrees C (SD 0.34); and between PA and SolarTherm axilla = 0.46 degrees C (SD 0.16). Temperature levels were not a factor relative to difference scores between study and reference devices. CONCLUSIONS: Both test devices, SolarTherm (an intermittent-use device) and DataTherm (a temperature-monitoring device), performed well, and correlated strongly with PA temperature assessments.