Tympanic Thermometers Accuracy

The patient whose core temperature is monitored during hospitalisation has his temperature at tympanic level taken once during the stay. The research nurse will record the core temperature from the monitor on the CRF and, within the next 5 minutes, take the peripheral temperature with the tympanic thermometer three times in a row, recording all three values on the CRF. Subsequently a second operator will always take the temperature 3 times within 5 minutes of the gold standard measurement. Only the first tympanic measurement will then be used to assess accuracy against the gold standard.