Equivalence Study of Two Temperature-Measurement Methods in Febrile Adult Patients With Cancer.
Tina M Mason, Abdelbaki Boubekri, Jennifer Lalau and 3 others
PMID 28222086WHAT IT FOUND
The temporal artery thermometer did not match oral readings in febrile cancer patients.
Using it alone could have missed seven cases of neutropenic fever. It is not a reliable alternative to oral temperature measurement in this population.
Key findings
01The study rejected the hypothesis of equivalence between the temporal artery and oral thermometers, with a mean difference of 0.137 degrees Fahrenheit.
02Relying solely on the temporal artery thermometer could have resulted in seven missed cases of neutropenic fever.
03The temporal artery thermometer is not recommended for use in the hematology-oncology population due to its unreliability in detecting fevers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used a convenience sample drawn from only two similar units at a single cancer center. The exclusion criteria removed patients with moderate to severe mucositis, high-flow oxygen, or skin issues, meaning the results apply to a subset of febrile patients who could tolerate oral probes. The study compared the temporal artery thermometer only to the oral route, not to a gold-standard core temperature measurement like a pulmonary artery catheter.
Declared interests
The authors state that neither manufacturer of the devices was involved in the study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that because the temporal artery thermometer is often used for afebrile patients or surgical recovery, it is safe for febrile oncology patients. This study specifically found it failed to detect seven neutropenic fevers, making it unsafe for this high-risk population.