A comparison of mercury and digital clinical thermometers

Davies, Susan; Kassab, J. Y.; Thrush, Abigail; Smith, P.H.S.

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.1986.tb01285.x

Cited by 21 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 36 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The American Academy of Pediatrics now suggests their use be curtailed because of the risks of mercury poisoning (20). Electronic thermometers equilibrate in variable times (depending on if they operate in a predictive or contact equilibrium mode [4,21]), and are simple to use and read. Studies comparing electronic and mercury readings at the same body site have yielded both comparable readings (21) and readings that vary by a clinically significant amount (22).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Body temperature measurement in paediatrics: Which gadget should we believe?

Robinson

2004

Paediatrics &Amp; Child Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Many decisions regarding the investigation and treatment of paediatric patients are determined by body temperature. In the 21st century, we still struggle to find a quick and convenient method that parents and health care workers can use to measure body temperature accurately.The goal of measuring body temperature is to approximate the core temperature, which is the temperature of the blood that bathes the temperature-regulating centre in the hypothalamus. However, there is a gradient between every body site where temperature can be measured and the hypothalamus. Contrary to popular dogma, this gradient is not constant (ie, rectal temperature is not reliably 1°C higher than axillary temperature). Therefore, it is difficult to choose a body site to use as the reference standard for comparing readings obtained by different instruments or at different sites.The following sites have been used in studies of body temperature measurement in children:• Pulmonary artery (PA): This site is vascular, and it is anatomically relatively close to the hypothalamus. In adults, PA readings are only 0.18°C lower than readings from blood returning from the brain in the high internal jugular vein (1). PA catheters are usually only placed in children during cardiac surgery, but this remains the best site to use as the reference standard for core temperature in studies comparing measurements taken from other body sites and with different instruments.• Distal esophagus: This site is easily accessible in sedated patients, and readings in paediatric patients are closer to PA readings than are rectal, axillary, bladder or tympanic readings (2). Therefore, this site is a good choice for temperature measurement in sedated patients or for use as a reference standard when PA readings are not practical.• Rectal: Although used as the reference standard in many previous studies, the rectum is a long distance from the hypothalamus. Decreased splanchnic flow can result in falsely low readings and rectal temperature is slow to respond to changes in core temperature, especially if stool is present in the lower rectum (2,3). There is often reluctance on the part of parents and older children to measure rectal temperature, and nosocomial infections have been attributed to the use of rectal thermometers in hospital (4). There are rare case reports of rectal perforation caused by rectal thermometers in neonates and the safety of doing rectal temperatures in neutropenic patients has not been established.• Bladder: Urinary catheters with thermistors are available, but the results of studies are disparate as to whether bladder temperatures are closer to PA readings than rectal temperatures (2,5). Readings may be falsely low if urine output is decreased.• Nasopharyngeal: In the only paediatric study (5) to date that compared nasopharyngeal temperature with other sites, mean difference from PA temperature was 0.43°C, which was higher than the difference for bladder temperatures, but lower than the difference for rectal, tympanic or axillary temperatures. Ind...

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Body temperature measurement in paediatrics: Which gadget should we believe?

Robinson

2004

Paediatrics &Amp; Child Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Seus resultados relatam média de 36,17º ± 0,21ºC, extremos de 35,5º e 37,0ºC e queda de 0,15ºC/década de vida na temperatura basal média. 15,22,23 O presente estudo encontrou média e desvio-padrão semelhantes aos do estudo de Gubin et al Desde a pesquisa inicial de Wunderlich, em 1868, tem-se utilizado o termômetro de mercúrio como "padrão ouro" para aferição de temperaturas corporais, razão de seu uso no presente estudo. Há, porém, ações internacionais e locais procurando reduzir e/ou retirá-lo da prática diária dos profissionais da saúde.…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

“…Justifica-se esta observação pelo padrão de doenças, medicações e graus de nutrição e dependência física em suas casuísticas de institucionalizados. 7,17,18,22,23 Cabe, assim, a proposta de Yoshikawa e Norman 1 7 7 1 7 7 1 7 7 1 7 7 Temperatura basal em idosos asilados persistente da temperatura corporal em pelo menos 2ºF (1,1ºC) sobre valores basais, independentemente da técnica de aferição (oral, retal, axilar ou auricular); (2) temperaturas orais iguais ou maiores a 99ºF (37,2ºC) e (3) temperaturas retais iguais ou maiores a 99,5ºF (37,5ºC).…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

Temperatura basal em idosos asilados

Gorzoni¹,

Pires

Faria

2010

Rev. bras. geriatr. gerontol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

INTRODUÇÃO: Idosos tendem a apresentar temperaturas corporais menores do que adultos jovens. A determinação da temperatura basal em populações de instituições de longa permanência para idosos (ILPIs) auxiliará em novas definições sobre estados febris nessa faixa etária e nesses locais, evitando diagnósticos tardios ou equivocados. OBJETIVO: Determinar valores de temperatura basal axilar em internados clinicamente estáveis em instituição de longa permanência para idosos (ILPI). CASUÍSTICA E MÉTODO: Avaliaram-se, em agosto de 2005, idosos (idade > 60 anos) de ambos os sexos, com grau de dependência intermediária (perda de duas dentre seis atividades básicas da vida diária) e residentes em ILPI. Utilizaram-se média e desvio padrão de três temperaturas axilares matinais, obtidas por meio de termômetro clínico prismático IncotermÒ. O mês de agosto de 2005 apresentou, na região da ILPI deste estudo, temperaturas ambientais médias entre 14ºC e 26ºC. RESULTADOS: Obtiveram-se dados de 47 idosos (16 mulheres, 31 homens) com média etária de 72,8 ± 10,6 anos. Temperatura axilar média matinal: 36,1º ± 0,2ºC, sendo de 36,1º ± 0,2ºC nas mulheres e de 36,2º ± 0,2ºC nos homens. Não houve significância estatística quanto ao sexo ou faixa etária e temperaturas aferidas. CONCLUSÃO: Idosos institucionalizados apresentam temperatura axilar média matinal e/ou basal inferior à normal em adultos jovens. Este fato merece atenção pelo risco do desenvolvimento de síndromes com temperaturas atípicas como, por exemplo, quadros infecciosos afebris e hipotermias.

show abstract

“…In most medical centres oral electromc thermometry is used for routine temperature measurements The claimed advantages of this method include improved hygiene, less hazards (no mercury waste) and saving of Ume Previous studies have not adequately assessed the reliability and accuracy of oral thermometry Many investigators have focused on jn vivo studies documenting high precision and accuracy of oral thermometers under such circumstances (Nichols et al 1966, Davis et al 1986 Several of these investigations have concentrated on techmcal and biological problems such as comparison between different tjrpes of digital thermometers, investigations of optimum time and placement in the oral cavity, influences of hjrperventilation, age, and dental protheoses, lnfiuences of exogenous factors such as hot baths and cold/warm liquids before measurements (Erickson 1980, Baker et al 1984, Davis et al 1986, Shanks et al 1983, Hanm et al 1988…”

Section: Temperature Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The superiority of rectal thermometry to oral thermometry with regard to accuracy

Jensen

Jeppesen

Mortensen

et al. 1994

Journal of Advanced Nursing

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Electronic oral thermometry is performed routinely in most medical centres. From the studies available on this subject it seems difficult to find any documentation for this practice. We have conducted clinically controlled studies in which the accuracy of electronic oral thermometry (CRAFTEMP and TERUMO WCT) and that of electronic rectal thermometry (TERUMO WCT) were tested. Rectal glass mercury thermometry was used as a reference method. Two studies were designed. In study 1, 184 patients (72 women, 112 men), median age 70 (18-95) years were investigated. In study 2, 91 patients (41 women, 50 men), median age 59 (18-96) years were investigated. Electronic oral thermometry was found unacceptably inaccurate under daily routine conditions. Electronic rectal thermometry was found to be accurate. Calculations of mean temperature difference between reference measurements and test measurements (mean +/- SD) were found to be: routine oral CRAFTEMP at 0.70 +/- 0.50 degrees C, optimum oral TERUMO WCT at 0.75 +/- 0.74 degrees C, routine rectal TERUMO WCT at 0.08 +/- 0.26 degrees C and optimum rectal TERUMO WCT at 0.02 +/- 0.17. In the screening procedure for fever oral thermometry showed low sensitivity (routine CTAFTEMP 0.47 and optimum TERUMO WCT 0.59) whereas rectal thermometry showed high sensitivity (routine TERUMO WCT 0.74 and optimum TERUMO WCT 0.91). It was concluded that rectal thermometry must be preferred to oral thermometry for daily routine measurements.

show abstract

A comparison of mercury and digital clinical thermometers

Cited by 21 publications

References 36 publications

Body temperature measurement in paediatrics: Which gadget should we believe?

Body temperature measurement in paediatrics: Which gadget should we believe?

Temperatura basal em idosos asilados

The superiority of rectal thermometry to oral thermometry with regard to accuracy

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About