Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of the status after ear surgery and ear pathology on the results of infrared tympanic thermometry

  • Otology
  • Published:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology and Head & Neck Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Most publications that deal with infrared tympanic thermometry (ITT) have performed a comparison between the established temperature measurements and ITT. However, to date an understanding of the influence of pathological ear findings on ITT test results is incomplete. Therefore, in the present study ITT was performed in healthy adults ( n =21), adult patients with monaural central perforation ( n =31) or strong scar formations ( n =24) of the tympanic membrane and 18 adult patients after monaural canal wall down surgery. Right and left ear and oral temperature were measured three times by one investigator in a room with a constant temperature of 20–22°C. Between every measurement there was a free time interval of 2 min. In healthy adults (36.50°C vs. 36.51°C) patients with monaural central perforation of the tympanic membrane (36.41°C vs. 36.34°C) and with monaural strong scar formations in the tympanic membrane (36.39°C vs. 36.45°C), no significant difference between the right and left ear could be proved. In contrast to this, a significantly higher temperature in the surgically treated ear compared to the healthy side (36.97°C vs. 36.31°C; P <0.001) occurred in patients with a status of after monaural canal wall down surgery. In summary, it could be demonstrated that, in contrast to minor ear surgery, major ear surgery such as canal wall down has a significant influence on the results of ITT. If a patient’s history gives reference to previous ear surgery, an otoscopic examination is necessary in order to exclude the presence of an after-canal-wall-down surgery status and thus to avoid false ITT test results.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Anyutin RG, Ivkina SV, Dmitriev NS, Mileshina NA (2004) Tympanic thermometry in diagnosis of exudative otitis media in children. Vestn Otorinolaringol 2:33–35

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Benzinger M (1969) Tympanic thermometry in surgery and anesthesia. JAMA 209:1207–1211

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Brennan DF, Falk JL, Rothrock SG, Kerr RB (1995) Reliability of infrared tympanic thermometry in the detection of rectal fever in children. Ann Emerg Med 25:21–30

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Cusson RM, Madonia JA, Taekman JB (1997) The effect of environment on body site temperatures in full-term neonates. Nurs Res 46:202–207

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Doezema D, Lunt M, Tandberg D (1995) Cerumen occlusion lowers infrared tympanic membrane temperature measurement. Acad Emerg Med 2:17–19

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Fritz U, Rohrberg M, Lange C, Weyland W, Brauer A, Braun U (1996) Infrarot Temperaturmessung im Gehörgang mit dem iDIATEK 9000 Instatemp und dem DIATEK 9000 Thermoguide. Vergleich mit Methoden der Temperraturmessung an anderen Körperstellen. Anaesthesist 45:1059–1066

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Garcia Callejo FJ, Platero ZA, Sebastian GE, Marco SM, Alpera Lacruz RJ, Martinez Beneyto MP (2004) Condicionantes otologicos en termometria timpanica con infrarrojos en ninos. Acta Otorrinolaringol Esp 55:107–113

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Hasel KL, Erickson RS (1995) Effect of cerumen on infrared ear temperature measurement. J Gerontol Nurs 21:6–14

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Holtmann S (1999) Ohrthermometrie aus otologischer Sicht. Laryngorhinootologie 78:9–11

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Huang HP, Shih HM (1998) Use of infrared thermometry and effect of otitis externa on external ear canal temperature in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc 213:76–79

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Hughes WT, Patterson GG, Thornton D, Williams BJ, Lott L, Dodge R (1985) Detection of fever with infrared thermometry: a feasibility study. J Infect Dis 152:301–306

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Irvin SM (1999) Comparison of the oral thermometer versus the tympanic thermometer. Clin Nurse Spec 13:85–89

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Jolin SW, Howell JM, Milzman DP, Stair TO, Butzin CA (1995) Infrared emission detection tympanic thermometry may be useful in diagnosing acute otitis media. Am J Emerg Med 13:6–8

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Kelly B, Alexander D (1991) Effect of otitis media on infrared tympanic thermometry. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 30:46–48

    Google Scholar 

  15. Mandell DL, Pearl AW, Rothschild MA (2001) Influence of minor ear surgery on infrared tympanic thermometry. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 127:547–552

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Modell JG, Katholi CR, Kumaramangalam SM, Hudson EC, Graham D (1998) Unreliability of the infrared tympanic thermometer in clinical practice: a comparative study with oral mercury and oral electronic thermometers. South Med J 91:649–654

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Porwancher R, Sheth A, Remphrey S, Taylor E, Hinkle C, Zervos M (1997) Epidemiological study of hospital-acquired infection with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium: possible transmission by an electronic ear-probe thermometer. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 18:771–773

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Pransky SM (1991) The impact of technique and conditions of the tympanic membrane upon infrared tympanic thermometry. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 30:50–52

    Google Scholar 

  19. Robb PJ, Shahab R (2001) Infrared transtympanic temperature measurement and otitis media with effusion. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 59:195–200

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Rohrberg M, Fritz U, Weyland W, Braun U (1997) Temperaturmessung im Gehörgang: Vergleich der Infrarotthermometrie mit konventioneller Temperaturbestimmung und Evaluation von klinischen Faktoren auf die Infrarotmessung. Anasthesiol Intensivmed Notfallmed Schmerzther 32:409–413

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Shambaugh GE Jr (1969) Tympanic thermometry during anesthesia. Arch Otolaryngol 90:544

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Shinozaki T, Deane R, Perkins FM (1988) Infrared tympanic thermometer: evaluation of a new clinical thermometer. Crit Care Med 16:148–150

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Tabor MW, Blaho DM, Schriver WR (1981) Tympanic membrane perforation: complication of tympanic thermometry during general anesthesia. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 51:581–583

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Talo H, Macknin ML, Medendorp SV (1991) Tympanic membrane temperatures compared to rectal and oral temperatures. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 30:30–33

    Google Scholar 

  25. Tomkinson A, Roblin DG, Quine SM, Flanagan P (1996) Tympanic thermometry and minor ear surgery. J Laryngol Otol 110:454–455

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Wallace CT, Marks WE, Jr., Adkins WY, Mahaffey JE (1974) Perforation of the tympanic membrane, a complication of tympanic thermometry during anesthesia. Anesthesiology 41:290–291

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Zehner WJ, Terndrup TE (1991) The impact of moderate ambient temperature variance on the relationship between oral, rectal, and tympanic membrane temperatures. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 30:61–64

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany

    Frank Schmäl, Marjolein Loh-van den Brink & Wolfgang Stoll

Authors
  1. Frank Schmäl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marjolein Loh-van den Brink
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Wolfgang Stoll
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Frank Schmäl.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schmäl, F., Loh-van den Brink, M. & Stoll, W. Effect of the status after ear surgery and ear pathology on the results of infrared tympanic thermometry. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 263, 105–110 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-005-0966-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-005-0966-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation