RT Journal
A1 WEIR MR, WEIR TE
T1 ARe 'hot' ears really hot?
JF American Journal of Diseases of Children
JO American Journal of Diseases of Children
YR 1989
FD July 1
VO 143
IS 7
SP 763
OP 764
DO 10.1001/archpedi.1989.02150190013005
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.1989.02150190013005
AB Sir.—Recordings from the tympanic membrane appear superior to those obtained from most other sites commonly used for measuring body temperature.1-7 Infrared determinations of temperature have been shown to be fast and accurate1,2 and have been used to monitor localized increases in temperature from a variety of causes and sites.1 We used a commercially available device that measures tympanic membrane temperature (FirstTEMP, Intelligent Medical Systems Inc, Carlsbad, Calif) to explore the effect of otitis media on that temperature. We assumed that patients with unilateral otitis media would display a difference in ear temperature measurements that reflected the magnitude of the local effect of the otitis, ie, that the normal ear would reflect the core temperature and the infected ear would reflect the local increase because of the infection.Patients and Methods.—Unilateral otitis media was defined as an acute illness with a normal ear opposite