Ear Temperature as Predictor of Rectal Temperature Measured With Modern Devices in the Emergency Department.

Ear thermometers are often requested to be used rather than rectal thermometer (gold standard) for measuring the body temperature, as this method is faster and more user friendly. Former ear thermometers did not meet the required standards of accuracy for clinical use. However, a new generation of ear thermometers have been developed and widely used in the Emergency departments in Denmark. The devices have only been evaluated in two studies on adult populations, with conflicting results.

This cross-sectional study will examine patients by measuring both ear and rectal temperature in the same patient at the same time on admission to an emergency department, to evaluate if temperature measured in the ear can be used as the standard temperature measurement.