Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23663659›Full record

ArticleBMC research notes2013

Accuracy of tympanic temperature measurement using an infrared tympanic membrane thermometer.

Gasim I Gasim, Imad R Musa, Mohamed T Abdien, Ishag Adam

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC research notes, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.7field-weighted citation impact, top 10% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

24 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 92 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Gasim I GasimFaculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, P,O, Box 102, Khartoum, Sudan.
Imad R Musa
Mohamed T Abdien
Ishag Adam
University of Khartoum · SDBuraydah Colleges · SAQassim University · SA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDuring investigation and diagnosis of patients, accurate temperature measurement is of great importance. The advantages of tympanic membrane thermometry are speed (temperature reading available within seconds), safety, and ease of use. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of infrared tympanic thermometers in comparison to mercury thermometers in measurement of body temperature.

methodsAxillary and tympanic temperature was measured simultaneously in consecutive patients using mercury glass and infrared tympanic thermometers at Omdurman Hospital, Sudan during October 2012.

resultsIn total, temperature was measured in 174 patients, 95 of whom (54.6%) were male. The mean (SD) patient age and weight was 33.18 (25.07) years and 52.13 (69.85) kg. There was no significant difference in mean (SD) temperature measurement between mercury and infrared tympanic membrane thermometers, 37.29°C (0.91) versus 37.38°C (0.95), P = 0.373, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between axillary and tympanic body temperature measurements (r = 0.697, P < 0.001). The mean difference between the two readings (with limits of agreements) was - 0.093 (-0.20; 0.02) °C.

conclusionIn this study, tympanic membrane thermometry is as reliable and accurate as axillary mercury glass thermometry. Thus, tympanic thermometry can be used in clinical practice, especially in the emergency setting, where ease of use and speed of obtaining the temperature reading are important.

Indexed as

Body TemperatureThermometersTympanic MembraneAdultChildEquipment DesignHumans

Identifiers

PMID23663659
PMCPMC3658932
OpenAlexW2056527405

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.