Abstract
BackgroundThe infrared tympanic thermometer (IRTT) is a popular method for temperature screening in children, but it has been debated for the low accuracy and reproducibility compared with other measurements. This study was aimed to identify and quantify studies reporting the diagnostic accuracy of the new generation IRTT in children and to compare the sensitivity and specificity of IRTT under different cutoffs and give the optimal cutoff.MethodsArticles were derived from a systematic search in PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, and Embase, and were assessed for internal validity by the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2). The figure of risk of bias was created by Review Manager 5.3 and data were synthesized by MetaDisc 1.4.ResultsTwelve diagnostic studies, involving 4639 pediatric patients, were included. The cut-offs varied from 37.0 °C to 38.0 °C among these studies. The cut-off 37.8 °C was with the highest sROC AUC (0.97) and Youden Index (0.83) and was deemed to be the optimal cutoff.ConclusionThe optimal cutoff for infrared tympanic thermometers is 37.8 °C. New Generation Tympanic Thermometry is with high diagnostic accuracy in pediatric patients and can be an alternative for fever screening in children.
Highlights
The infrared tympanic thermometer (IRTT) is a popular method for temperature screening in children, but it has been debated for the low accuracy and reproducibility compared with other measurements
We conducted this study to assess the discriminant validity of the new generation IRTT for detecting pediatric fever determined by rectal thermometry and to find the optimal cutoff
The results indicated that IRTT was a good alternative for rectal thermometry in pediatric patients, and the optimal cut-off of ear temperature for screening fever in children was 37.8 °C
Summary
The infrared tympanic thermometer (IRTT) is a popular method for temperature screening in children, but it has been debated for the low accuracy and reproducibility compared with other measurements. Non-invasive methods of body temperature measurement include rectal temperature, oral temperature and axillary temperature. Among these methods, rectal thermometry has been the most reliable for measuring body temperature in children and is considered clinically to be the best estimation of the core temperature [9]. Rectal thermometry has been the most reliable for measuring body temperature in children and is considered clinically to be the best estimation of the core temperature [9] It is time-consuming and requires certain level of practice [5, 10].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
