Infra-red thermometry: the reliability of tympanic and temporal artery readings for predicting brain temperature after severe traumatic brain injury

IntroductionTemperature measurement is important during routine neurocritical care especially as differences between brain and systemic temperatures have been observed. The purpose of the study was to determine if infra-red temporal artery thermometry provides a better estimate of brain temperature than tympanic membrane temperature for patients with severe traumatic brain injury.MethodsBrain parenchyma, tympanic membrane and temporal artery temperatures were recorded every 15–30 min for five hours during the first seven days after admission.ResultsTwenty patients aged 17–76 years were recruited. Brain and tympanic membrane temperature differences ranged from -0.8 °C to 2.5 °C (mean 0.9 °C). Brain and temporal artery temperature differences ranged from -0.7 °C to 1.5 °C (mean 0.3 °C). Tympanic membrane temperature differed from brain temperature by an average of 0.58 °C more than temporal artery temperature measurements (95% CI 0.31 °C to 0.85 °C, P < 0.0001).ConclusionsAt temperatures within the normal to febrile range, temporal artery temperature is closer to brain temperature than is tympanic membrane temperature.

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