ASSESSMENT OF HYPOTHERMIA WITH A NEW TYMPANIC THERMOMETER

Objective. Rapid and accurate core temperature measurement is vitally important in trauma patients, especially in those with accidental hypo thermia. We tested a new aural thermometer to measure ''tympanic'' tem peratures and assessed its accuracy during normothermic and hypothermi c cardiopulmonary bypass. Methods. Tympanic, esophageal, and blood tem peratures were compared in 10 patients undergoing open-heart surgery. In addition, the stability and reaction time of the tympanic thermomet er was evaluated in 5 volunteers in a cold room, with and without faci al fanning. Results. We observed a good linear correlation between tym panic and esophageal (r = 0.96) and blood (r = 0.81) temperature measu rements during normothermia and hypothermia. There was no evidence of iatrogenic ear lesions in any of the patients. In the cold-room tests, stability was excellent and the time for adjustment of tympanic tempe rature measurement was about 2 min (with and without facial fanning). Conclusion. The new tympanic thermoprobe is a simple, fast, and reliab le device for measuring core temperature. The device was designed part icularly for, and may be useful for, patients suffering from accidenta l hypothermia.