How Reliable Are Peripheral Thermometers?

Jamaluddin Moloo, MD, MPH reviewing Niven DJ et al. Ann Intern Med 2015 Nov 17.

In a meta-analysis, the sensitivity of peripheral thermometers for detecting fever was only 64%.

Accurate evaluation of body temperature is essential in many clinical scenarios. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, researchers examined data from 75 prospective studies in which the accuracy of peripheral thermometers (tympanic membrane, temporal, axillary, or oral) was compared with central thermometers (pulmonary artery catheter [the gold standard for temperature measurement], urinary bladder, esophageal, or rectal). Analysis involved nearly 8700 patients; 42 studies were in adults, 32 studies were in children, and 1 study was in both.

The pooled sensitivity and specificity for detecting fever by peripheral thermometers were 64% and 96%, respectively; in other words, when a peripheral thermometer detected fever, it was likely present, but peripheral thermometers frequently missed fever. Sensitivity was lowest for axillary thermometers (42%).

Citation(s):

Niven DJ et al. Accuracy of peripheral thermometers for estimating temperature: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med 2015 Nov 17; 163:768.