AXILLARY VERSUS RECTAL TEMPERATURE-MEASUREMENT IN PREMATURE AND NEWBORN-INFANTS

We performed a prospective study to see whether axillary temperature a ccurately reflects rectal temperature in premature and sick mature new borns nursed in incubators and whether axillary temperature measuremen t is better tolerated than rectal measurement. 561 pairs of rectal and axillary temperatures were obtained in 20 infants. Mean axillary temp eratures were 0.16 degrees C (SD 0.33 degrees C) lower than rectal tem peratures. In infants < 1000 g axillary temperatures were only 0.06 de grees C (SD 0.30 degrees C) lower than rectal temperatures whereas in infants > 2500 g axillary temperatures were 0.37 degrees C (SD 0.38 de grees C) lower than rectal temperatures. Our results show that axillar y and rectal temperatures are interchangeable in extremely premature i nfants. In newborn infants however 0.4 degrees C should be added to ax illary temperatures to make them comparable to rectal temperatures. As sessment of infant behaviour during temperature measurement by the nur sing staff showed that infants tolerated rectal better than axillary t emperature measurements. The decision which kind of measurement will b e performed can be taken individually for every infant.