Comparison of the oral thermometer versus the tympanic thermometer.

After the use of tympanic thermometers replaced the use of oral thermometers at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Memphis, the nursing staff initiated a comparison study of the two instruments, monitoring 160 temperature readings. Current studies demonstrate that tympanic thermometers give presumably higher temperature readings than do oral thermometers. The study question asked was: Is there a clinically statistical difference between the measures of the two instruments? A statistically significant difference was found between the readings of the two instruments. Despite published results that infrared thermometers provide readings closer to core temperature than oral thermometers, the oral thermometer registered higher in 69% of the subjects. It may be premature to conclude that the oral thermometer is not as accurate as the tympanic thermometer. Removal of this proven oral system may need to be evaluated, and further comparison studies should be conducted before the tympanic thermometer is unconditionally embraced as the more accurate of the two.