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Citation
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Study group
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Study type (level of evidence)
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Outcome
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Key results
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Comments
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| Duce (1996) | 20 relevant research studies | Systematic review (level 1a) | Evaluation of infrared tympanic thermometry with an 8mm probe | Tympanic thermometry was found to be an inaccurate, inconsistent, and insensitive method of core temperature measurement in neonates, infants, and children | Narrative review |
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| Lanham et al (1999) | 241 sets of temperature measurements from 178 paediatric patients (mean age 18.6 months) | Prospective cohort (level 4) | Rectal temperature of 38°C compared to tympanic temperature | Mean difference between rectal and tympanic measurements was −0.6°C Tympanic >37.4°C Sens 80% Spec 85% LR+ 5.3 LR− 0.23 PPV 87% NPV 85% | Age and presence of fever significantly affected the rectal-tympanic difference, which suggests that the tympanic method may not accurately measure temperature in younger, febrile children |
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| Wilshaw et al (1999) | 120 infants, 59 with and 61 without fever | Case-control (level 4) | Rectal temperature of 38°C compared to tympanic temperature | Mean difference between rectal and tympanic measurements was +0.05°C Tympanic >38°C Sens 100% Spec 58% LR+ 2.4 LR− 0 | Relation between tympanic and rectal measurements was affected by age and sex |