Diagnostic Accuracy of Body Temperature Measurement in Geriatric Patients

Diagnostic Accuracy of Body Temperature Measurement in Geriatric Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department

Retrospective analysis of a quality measurement project examining the quality of vital parameter measurement in consecutive patients >= 75 years presenting to the emergency department.

Primary goal of the study is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of body temperature measurement using different methods to diagnose infection in patients >= 75 years presenting to the emergency department. The secondary goal is to compare the reliability of tympanal and temporal artery thermometry with rectal temperature measurement.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Fever; Infection
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: rectal, tympanal and temporal artery thermometry

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 427

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Germany
  • Bavaria
    • Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany, 90419
      • Klinikum Nürnberg, emergency department

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 75 years and older (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Consecutive patients >= 75 years presenting to the emergency department of an urban university-affiliated hospital (80.000 attendees per year).

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• >= 75 years
• given informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• patients who do not speak the German language
• patients with unstable cardiorespiratory status
• presence of contraindications to one of the temperature measurement methods

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Geriatric patients ED; Consecutive patients >= 75 years in the emergency department.	Other: rectal, tympanal and temporal artery thermometry; Temperature measurement was done once in all patients included within the first hour of patients´presentation to the emergency department. Tympanal measurement was carried out by the use of infrared ear thermometry, temporal artery thermometry was done using infrared technology as well.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Diagnostic accuracy of rectal, tympanal and temporal artery thermometry to diagnose infection	The primary outcome measure is the diagnostic accuracy of rectal, tympanal and temporal artery thermometry to diagnose infection in old patients presenting to the ED	June 2012

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Klinikum Nürnberg

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: May 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 1, 2012
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 10, 2012
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 10, 2012
• First Posted (Estimate): July 12, 2012

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): July 13, 2012
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 11, 2012
• Last Verified: July 1, 2012

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: KSMC-tempger-1