A study of different thermometers to the difference of measuring body temperature in patient with fever

• Main Authors: Ching-Hsiao Lin, 林青曉
• Other Authors: Yueh-Juen Hwu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/62126506512062428898

碩士 === 中臺科技大學 === 護理研究所 === 100 === The purpose of this study was to determine the difference of body temperature between infrared tympanic thermometer and infrared skin thermometer in condition of the infrared tympanic thermometer as standard. Three hundred and forty pyretic patients were recruited from the units of ward, OPD and ER in a regional teaching hospital by convenience sampling. The Participants were divided into the group of children (n = 221) and adults (n = 119). The results of this research showed that the mean tympanic temperature was 38.28℃(0.70℃), while the mean skin temperature was 37.81℃(0.80℃) in the group of children. There was a statistical significant difference between tympanic temperature and skin temperature (p＜.001). In the group of adults, the mean tympanic temperature was 38.33℃(0.67), while the mean skin temperature was 37.70℃(0.91℃). There was a statistical significant difference between tympanic temperature and skin temperature (p＜.001). The mean tympanic temperature was higher than the skin temperature for both groups in the overall pyretic stages. The mean difference between tympanic temperature and skin temperature was 0.29℃, 0.73℃ and 1.05℃ in the group of children among the three pyretic stages. There were significant differences among low grade fever, moderate grade fever and high fever (p＜.001). The mean difference between tympanic temperature and skin temperature was 0.54℃、0.69℃ and 1.74℃ in the group of adults among the three pyretic stages. There were significant differences among low grade fever, moderate grade fever and high fever (p＜.001). The difference between tympanic temperature and skin temperature was larger in high fever, and smaller in low grade fever. The findings of this study suggest that infrared skin thermometer can be applied to the screening in community. There is no significant difference between tympanic temperature and skin temperature for normal population. As most of the body temperature of dwellers in community are normal, the infrared skin thermometer is thus suggested to use in this context, while in the pyretic condition, the appropriate method for measuring body temperature is the infrared tympanic thermometer.