Comparison of axillary temperature with rectal or oral temperature and determination of optimum placement time in children.

The present study was done to compare axillary temperature (AT) with rectal temperature (RT) in 100 infants and with oral temperature (OT) in 100 children agd 6 to 12 years and also to find out the optimum placement time of the mercury thermometer at the above sites. Simultaneous AT and RT recording was done in infants while sequential AT and OT recording was done in older children by different investigators using calibrated Hick thermometers. The placement time recorded was when 3 consecutive readings at one minute interval remained unchanged. Significant correlation was observed between RT and AT (r=0.95, p <0.01) and between OT & AT (r = 0.97, p 0 <0.01). Equations were derived to calculate RT & AT from AT. The mean placement time for RT, AT and OT was 2.3 minutes, 4.8 minutes and 3.1 minutes respectively. The study showed a high degree of correlation between OT or RT and AT.