A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON ACCURACY OF DIGITAL THERMOMETER AND MERCURY IN GLASS THERMOMETER IN MEASURING TEMPERATURE IN CHILDREN AGED ONE MONTH TO 12 YEARS IN A TERTIARY REFERRAL CENTRE

Abstract : OBJECTIVES1. To compare the accuracy of digital thermometer with mercury thermometer in children aged one month to 12 years.2. To determine the average time taken by the digital thermometer to record the temperature.MATERIALS AND METHODSDESIGN - Cross sectional studySETTING- Ward of medical unit V of Institute of Child Health Hospital for Children a Pediatric tertiary care centre.PERIOD OF STUDY July 2010 to September 2010.PARTICIPANTSInclusion criteriaFebrile children aged 1 month to 12 years who are admitted as in-patient in Institute of Child Health Hospital for children, Egmore.Sample size 92 (based on study by Fadzil et al which shows a 0.480C limits of agreement).MAJOR OUTCOME MEASURES1. Concordance and discordance of digital thermometer with mercury thermometer.2. The average time taken for the digital thermometer to measure temperature.RESULTSThe mean difference between digital and mercury thermometer recordings is 0.260C (95 CI 0.18-0.34). The correlation coefficient between mercury and digital thermometer recording is statistically significant (R0.976, p0.001). The BlandAltman test shows that almost all residual values (Estimated observed) are random and the fall within the 95 confidence limits. The difference between estimated and observed mercury value was found to be 0 0.257(meanSD) (95 CI 0.50372 to 0.50372). The average time taken by the digital thermometer to record the temperature was 88.03 (95 CI 54.58 to 121.49) CONCLUSIONSDigital thermometer is as accurate as mercury in glass thermometer in recording temperature. The average time taken (in seconds) by the digital thermometer to record temperature is 88.03 17.07.