Is current body temperature measurement practice fit-for-purpose?
J Med Eng Technol
; 45(2): 136-144, 2021 Feb.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33632055
ABSTRACT
There has been a marked rise in the number of avoidable deaths in health services around the world. At the same time there has been a growing increase in antibiotic resistant so-called "superbugs." We examine here the potential role of body temperature measurement in these adverse trends. Electronic based thermometers have replaced traditional mercury (and other liquid-in-glass type) thermometers for reasons of safety rather than superiority. Electronic thermometers are in general less robust from a measurement perspective than their predecessors. We illustrate the implications of unreliable temperature measurement on the diagnosis and management of disease, including COVID-19, through statistical calculations. Since a return to mercury thermometers is both undesirable and impractical, we call for better governance in the current practice of clinical thermometry to ensure the traceability and long-term accuracy of electronic thermometers and discuss how this could be achieved.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Temperatura Corporal
/
Termometria
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Guideline
Limite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Med Eng Technol
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Reino Unido