True or False poll no. 56
Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH)
In the emergency department, digital temporal artery thermometers are reliable for detecting fever in all pediatric patients.
TRUE
There are several types of thermometer available for detecting fever, and the best type to use in pediatric patients has been the source of much debate. National guidelines recommend that, although newer options (axillary, tympanic and temporal artery thermometry) may be appropriate for older children, only digital rectal thermometers should be used in children younger than two years of age. However, limited evidence suggests that in the emergency department, digital temporal artery thermometers may be the better option for all pediatric patients. A CADTH review found that, for children who are febrile and who are either older or younger than two years of age, digital temporal artery thermometers gave temperature readings that were similar to those from rectal thermometers. These thermometers also provide substantial savings in nursing time (on average, 6 seconds per reading compared with 47 seconds for digital rectal thermometry) and are more comfortable for the patient, which makes them a preferred option for the busy setting of the emergency department.
For more information about CADTH its review of pediatric thermometers, see www.cadth.ca/thermometer-use-febrile-pediatric-patients-review-clinical-effectiveness-accuracy-and-guidelines.