Contributor: Taylor Lynch, MD Educational Pearls: A recent study published in a pediatric journal in April 2025 compared temporal and oral thermometers Paired temperature measurements (temporal and oral temperature within 30 minutes) were obtained from 1,412 pediatric patients 26% of patients had statistically different temporal and oral temperatures The temporal reading was always lower than the oral reading Children less than 12 years old were 2-3x more likely to actually have that statistical difference in temperatures The study also evaluated 1,000 adult patients 36% had a temporal temperature that was 0.5 degrees Celsius lower than the oral temperature Reasons for the statistical difference between the two types of thermometers: Environment: temporal thermometers are affected by ambient room temperature, diaphoresis, and inaccuracy in measuring temperature at the site of the temporal artery Physiologic: a patient with inadequate perfusion will not have an accurate temporal reading Impact: Obtaining an accurate temperature is crucial in patient care For example, in the setting of sepsis, temperature is a necessary component to identifying when a patient meets SIRS criteria References Salhi RA, Meeker MA, Williams C, Iwashyna TJ, Samuels-Kalow ME. Inaccuracy of Temporal Thermometer Measurement by Age and Race. Acad Pediatr. 2025 Apr;25(3):102620. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2024.102620. Epub 2024 Dec 15. PMID: 39681266. Summarized by Meg Joyce, MS2 | Edited by Meg Joyce & Jorge Chalit, OMS4 Donate : https://emergencymedicalminute.org/donate/
