Comparison of the accuracy of digital axillary thermometer (DAT) with infrared forehead skin thermometer (IFST) measurements in healthy newborns

Abstract

Temperature is an important vital sign. Body temperature is generally measured whenever there is suspicion of fever, but in neonates’ hypothermia is considered even more serious than fever. There are studies in pediatric intensive care units comparing various invasive methods of temperature measurement.This was a cross sectional comparative study conducted in postnatal wards and outpatient department of a teaching hospital. All consecutive 348 healthy term neonates between 0-28 days of life whose parents consented for participation in the study were included. The axillary temp was taken with digital thermometer and forehead temperature were measured by temporal scanner device simultaneously. Doctor and caretaker both took the temperature measurement. Out of total 348 patients 114 (32.7%) were males and 234(67.2%) were females. Mean birth weight was 2800±400 grams. Mean axillary temperature was 98.34±0.81°F, and forehead temperature was 97.81±0.89°F (p=0.44). There was a positive correlation between temperature measured using digital and infrared thermometer (r=0.914, p=0.00). The mean difference was −0.07 with limits of agreement −0.71 to 0.57.Digital axillary temperature was higher and closer to normal than infrared forehead temperature. Temperature readings by forehead infrared thermometry agree well with those by axillary digital thermometry in neonates. Hence both methods of temperature measurement can be used in neonates although Infra-red temporal touch is much easier technique than digital axilla temperature measurement