Noninvasive Temperature Monitoring in Postanesthesia Care Units

• DOI: 10.1097/aln.0b013e3181a864ca
• Publication Date: 2009-06-15T07:24:02Z
• Authors: Geoffrey E. Langham; Ankit Maheshwari; Kevin Contrera; Jing You; Edward Mascha; Daniel I. Sessler
• Keywords: Core temperature

Background Initial postoperative core temperature is a physician and hospital performance measure. However, the extent to which changes during emergence from anesthesia transport operating room postanesthesia care unit (PACU) remains unknown. Similarly, accuracy of many noninvasive temperature-monitoring methods used in PACU has yet be quantified. This study, therefore, quantified change occurring evaluated precision eight thermometers PACU. Methods In 50 patients having laparoscopic surgery, authors measured temperatures upon arrival 30 60 min thereafter. Monitoring included oral, axillary, temporal artery, forehead skin-surface, liquid-crystal display, infrared aural canal, deep forehead, chest. Bladder was as reference also at end surgery. The primary outcome agreement between individual each method bladder A priori, chose 0.5 degrees C clinically important deviation. Results increased 0.2 +/- 0.3 (95% confidence interval 0.1 C), P < 0.001, transport. None tested consistently within temperature. artery were significantly better than other agreed reasonably well with Conclusions Invasive monitoring available intraoperatively more accurate any generally methods. Physician measures should therefore not based exclusively on temperatures. Among methods, electronic oral thermometry appears best.