Accuracy of Peripheral Thermometers for Estimating Temperature
Authors: Mattia Bonzi, Elisa Maria Fiorelli, Monica Solbiati, Nicola Montano
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2016)

Letters5 July 2016Accuracy of Peripheral Thermometers for Estimating TemperatureMattia Bonzi, MD, Elisa Maria Fiorelli, MD, Monica Solbiati, MD, and Nicola Montano, MD, PhD, and On behalf of the Gruppo di Autoformazione MetodologicaMattia Bonzi, MDFrom Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy., Elisa Maria Fiorelli, MDFrom Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy., Monica Solbiati, MDFrom Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy., and Nicola Montano, MD, PhDFrom Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy., and On behalf of the Gruppo di Autoformazione MetodologicaAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L16-0070 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:We read with great interest Niven and colleagues' review (1) about the accuracy of peripheral thermometers for estimating core body temperature. The authors found that both of the 95% limits of agreement between peripheral and central thermometers were outside the predefined clinically acceptable range (±0.5 °C) and that the most commonly used peripheral thermometers have poor diagnostic accuracy for fever and hypothermia. They concluded that peripheral thermometers do not have clinically acceptable accuracy.Although the question is interesting, we wonder whether their findings should change clinical practice. Indeed, before we recommend the routine use of central thermometers to ...References1. Niven DJ, Gaudet JE, Laupland KB, Mrklas KJ, Roberts DJ, Stelfox HT. Accuracy of peripheral thermometers for estimating temperature: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2015;163:768-77. [PMID: 26571241]. doi:10.7326/M15-1150 LinkGoogle Scholar2. Bur A, Herkner H, Vlcek M, Woisetschläger C, Derhaschnig U, Delle Karth G, et al. Factors influencing the accuracy of oscillometric blood pressure measurement in critically ill patients. Crit Care Med. 2003;31:793-9. [PMID: 12626986] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Higgins JPT, Green S, eds. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Version 5.1. The Cochrane Collaboration. 2011. Accessed at http://handbook.cochrane.org on 10 December 2015. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.Disclosures: Authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L16-0070. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoAccuracy of Peripheral Thermometers for Estimating Temperature Daniel J. Niven , Jonathan E. Gaudet , Kevin B. Laupland , Kelly J. Mrklas , Derek J. Roberts , and Henry Thomas Stelfox Accuracy of Peripheral Thermometers for Estimating Temperature Daniel J. Niven , Kevin B. Laupland , and Henry Thomas Stelfox Metrics Cited byRecent Progress in Flexible Wearable Sensors for Vital Sign MonitoringTemperature measurement in severely traumatized patientsPrecision, Sensitivity and Patient Preference of Non-Invasive Thermometers in a Pediatric Surgical Acute Care Setting 5 July 2016Volume 165, Issue 1Page: 73KeywordsBlood pressureConflicts of interestDisclosureEmergency departmentFeversHypothermiaIntensive care unitsReasoningTemperatureThermometers ePublished: 5 July 2016 Issue Published: 5 July 2016 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2016 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...