Trial Information

A Study Evaluating the Agreement of Devices for Measuring Temperature in Children

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

- Determine agreement between three different types of temperature-measuring instruments:
the temporal artery scanner, the digital oral thermometer, and the infrared tympanic
thermometer calibrated to an oral setting, in pediatric patients who are febrile and
afebrile.

Secondary

- Determine similarities or differences in the percent of fevers detected with oral, ear,
and temporal artery monitoring in these pediatric patients.

- Determine differences in agreement of the various temperature devices in
non-neutropenic pediatric patients versus neutropenic pediatric patients.

OUTLINE: This is a prospective study.

During an afebrile episode, the patient's temperature is measured twice using the following
3 devices: a temporal artery scanner, a digital oral thermometer, and an infrared tympanic
thermometer calibrated to an oral setting (total of 6 temperature measurements per afebrile
episode).

During a febrile episode, the patient's temperature is measured twice using all 3 devices as
above, and then at 2 and 4 hours after administration of an antipyretic medication (total of
18 temperatures per febrile episode).

Patients' temperatures are recorded for a maximum of 3 afebrile or febrile episodes.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 32 patients will be accrued for this study.