The Heat is On: Why the Temporal Artery Thermometer Should Be Your "Go-To"

[Exergen Corporation]

With nurses on the front line of patient care, evaluating vital signs is the first step in making the right diagnosis. There are several types of thermometers to consider and the decision ultimately boils down to which thermometer you can rely on to get the quickest, most convenient and most accurate reading - every time. We understand that many, but not all, nurses are using the Exergen TemporalScanner at work - even though it is the most convenient, easy to use, non-invasive and proven accurate thermometer available. If you're not, here are some reasons why it should be your top choice:

Accuracy Backed By Science

In a recent survey of the allnurses.com membership, you told us that accuracy is your highest consideration when deciding what thermometer to use. How do you know which thermometer gives the most accurate reading? By understanding the science. No other thermometer has the body of scientific support behind it than the TemporalScanner.

There are more than 55-published peer reviewed clinical studies supporting the Exergen TemporalScanner's accuracy across all ages from preterm infants and babies to adults and geriatric patients. Here are some highlights:

• A study published in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing favorably compares the temporal artery and axillary temperatures in healthy newborns. [1]
• A study published in the Journal of Pediatric Nursing compares temporal artery to rectal temperature measurements in children up to 24-months with a positive outcome.[2]
• A study in Oncology Nurse Advisor recommends use of the professional temporal thermometer in adults.[3]
• A comparison of temporal artery to mercury and digital temperature measurement in pediatrics published in the International Emergency Nurse.[4]
• A study in the Journal of Emergency Nurse determines temporal artery temperatures are accurate enough to replace rectal temperature measurement in pediatric patients.[5]

These studies and 50 more mean that you can be more confident of the temporal artery thermometer's accuracy than that of any other thermometer.

How Our Temporal Artery Thermometer Works

As you may know, the best place to measure temperature is the center of the heart. The temporal artery is connected to the heart via the carotid artery, directly leading from the aorta, the main trunk of the arterial system. The temporal artery is located at the front portion of the forehead and is the only artery positioned close enough to the skin surface to provide access needed, and constant perfusion necessary to take an accurate measurement.

Gently Stroke The Temporal Thermometer Across Forehead

As you gently stroke the temporal artery thermometer across the forehead, it crosses over the temporal artery. The sensor in its probe does two things:

1. Scans like a video camera, capturing naturally emitted infrared heat from the arterial blood supply at about 1,000 "frames" per second, locking in the highest temperature it senses.
2. Measures the surrounding area temperature of the site where the temperature is being taken.

The patented "arterial heat balance" (AHB) software then synthesizes the two separate readings to accurately determine and display the body temperature.

Temporal artery temperature is not affected by the things that can cause oral and underarm temperatures to be misleading. Drinking, coughing, talking or breathing through the mouth can easily affect oral temperature. Skin blood flow changes from a fever can easily affect axillary temperature accuracy. None of these interfere with getting an accurate reading from a temporal scanner.

Dr. Marybeth Pompei, Chief Clinical Scientist At Exergen Corporation, On Proper Use

The single most important thing to ensure accuracy is to use the thermometer correctly. The Exergen website offers a Virtual Classroom where nurses can watch a brief training video to learn how to take a consistent and accurate reading with the TemporalScanner. The website also addresses what factors might be causing inconsistent results. Also available are extensive clinical resource materials and links to clinical studies.

Patient Comfort Matters: Fast and Non-Invasive

You told us that second to accuracy, what matters most to you in a thermometer is ease of use with your patients. Since the temporal artery thermometer gives a reading with just a swipe across the forehead, you don't have to wake or disturb a sleeping patient to take their temperature. This is particularly helpful when you need to take the temperature of a sleeping baby, child or an elderly patient.

Valuable Cost Savings: Guaranteed For Life

Are you satisfied with the thermometer you're using at work? If not, speak up! It may be that your purchasing department or supervisor might not know how cost-effective the TemporalScanner is - and if they did, they might thank you! The Exergen TemporalScanner offers a 90 percent cost savings over other thermometers because it doesn't require the use of disposable covers (they are optional). The vast majority of hospitals have approved the use of an alcohol or other hospital approved disinfectant wipe of the probe head between patients. The Exergen TemporalScanner has a lifetime warranty which covers the entire instrument and includes all repair charges, making it a smart investment for your purchasing department or supervisor, and a successful cost saving measure credited to you for suggesting it.

Take These Benefits Home

Exergen markets two models of the TemporalScanner: a professional version used in doctor's offices, hospitals and other clinical settings, and a consumer model sold in major retailers nationwide. Between the two, more than one billion temperatures are taken with the Exergen TemporalScanner each year!

For more information about the Exergen TemporalScanner visit www.exergen.com. Contact Exergen at 1-800-422-3006

[CountryMomma, ASN, RN]

Don't have any temporal thermometers on my floor. We use oral, axillary, or catheter. Too much chance for user screwup.

[anon456, BSN, RN]

Our PICU actually discourages their use. I find them very inaccurate from personal experience. Oftentimes they they show normal temps in a very febrile child, or like others have stated you get 10 different temps with 10 different attempts. If an infant is suspected of a fever, I won't report it until I take it rectally, because the doc will always say "was that a rectal temp?" Even axillary sometimes shows different temps depending on which armpit you use, and if the kid had their arm above their head or it was drawn in to the body before the temp was taken. It's something I wish we could measure more accurately without being invasive.

[hawaiicarl, BSN, RN]

Personally I like the Temporal thermometers, fast easy, and noninvasive. That being said, a fan blowing on the pt always jacks them up, just as a pt chewing ice chips screws up an oral thermometer. It's all about technique, and pt situation. I don't ever do rectal temps, one they are degrading, and two chance of injury far greater than any other thermometer. The most reliable thermometer is the back of my hand, I like to see if I can guess within 0.3 of a degree with my hand vs a digital thermometer.

Cheers

[la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN]

Good to see I'm not the only one who can't get the same temp twice on these things. I thought it was nifty at first and then.....I thought it was just newb skillz but good to see my suspicions have been shared by those infinitely more experienced than I.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

You mean the random number generators? The single worst thermometer I have ever used.

[edmia, BSN, RN]

Disclaimer: I like the temporal thermometer. It's accurate when used correctly (and it is amazing how many people do not follow instructions when getting a temp.)

But agree, cheaper is just as accurate.

Sent from my iPhone -- blame all errors on spellchecker

[TheGooch]

sallyrnrrt said:

I prefer the reflective infrared non contact thermometer....industry has used the same technology to like find a hot spot in machinery, where like a bearing is going out...you only have to be one inch or less over an artery as carotid, temporal etc.....

My GI uses those.

[JK1976]

I love the exergen thermometer. But like any other thermometer it has its limitations. These are mainly due to the user's. You have to remember to clean the center after each use because things like make up can cause inaccuracies and keep the batteries fresh. I have seen many nurses not do these things. They are not used as instructed and then report inaccurate temperatures. Followed by physicians wanting temperatures taken orally when temperature doesn't match other symptoms. It is not the instrument but the user who needs to remember to use the the thermometer according to manufacturer's instructions. And remember when taking a patient's temperature, feel the patient's skin. Does it match your reading? If not think when was it cleaned last and when was the batteries last changed. It can keep us from having having to do our job twice. Just like double charting.

[CraigB-RN, MSN, RN]

Comparison of temporal artery thermometer to standard temperature measurements in pediatric intensive care unit patients. - PubMed - NCBI

Comparison of temporal artery thermometer to standard temperature measurements in pediatric intensive care unit patients.

CONCLUSIONS:

Temporal artery and axillary temperature measurements showed variability to rectal temperatures but had marked variability in febrile children. Neither was sufficiently accurate to recommend replacing rectal or other invasive methods. As temporal artery and axillary provide similar accuracy, temporal artery thermometers may serve as a suitable alternative for patients in whom invasive thermometry is contraindicated.

In sick septic patients it hasn't been that accurate. 97.8 in triage and then 102.4 in the room. We found it to be reasonably accurate in non sick patients, but pretty useless in trauma and septic patients.

Is the temporal artery thermometer a reliable instrument for detecting fever in children?

Penning C1, van der Linden JH, Tibboel D, Evenhuis HM.

Abstract

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE:

We aimed to study the diagnostic accuracy of the temporal artery thermometer vs. rectal temperature in a large group of children with and without fever, aged 0-18 years.

BACKGROUND:

Many have studied the diagnostic accuracy of the temporal artery thermometer in children compared with a reference method, with contradictory outcomes. No studies have been carried out in a large group of children of all ages.

DESIGN:

Diagnostic accuracy/validation study.

METHOD:

Children (0-18 years) with fever (T>38·0°C) were recruited through the emergency department and children with normal temperatures through the day-care department of the Children's Hospital. All children routinely had rectal temperature recordings. Temporal artery temperature was recorded shortly after the rectal recording. The mean absolute difference in temperature, the level of agreement (intraclass correlation coefficient) and the sensitivity and specificity of detecting fever were calculated.

RESULTS:

A total number of 198 children (121 boys) participated, with a mean age of 5·1 (SD 4·7) years. Of those children, 81 had fever according to the rectal recording. Mean difference between temporal artery temperature and rectal temperature was -0·11 (SD 0·63)°C, with an agreement of 0·812. The sensitivity and specificity of the temporal artery thermometer for detecting fever were 67·9 and 98·3%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS:

The diagnostic accuracy of the temporal artery thermometer in detecting fever in children of all ages is low.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE:

We do not recommend replacement of standard clinical thermometers with temporal artery thermometers.

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

Doesn't seem like you can get continuous temp monitoring with those things, so I'd hardly call them useful. I like throwing probes in febrile people - what would I do in this case, tape the thermometer to their foreheads? I don't think that's going to work.

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

The temporal scanners are not accurate. No matter how many times I tried especially in a sweaty neuro patient. I refuse to use them. The oral temp or axillary temp is better and more reliable too.