Most of our TAT vs Axillary temperatures are about 0.3-0.4 degrees different but occasionally get a more varied comparison. Is it most likely due to user error?
Mon Jan 23 2017
TAT use in Newborns
Mon Jan 23 2017Reply from Cipher
Probably not user error. While Temporal Artery Temperatures (TAT) can change fast, they are not affected by some of the things that can cause misleading (and different) axillary temperature readings; e.g. skin blood flow changes with a fever can easily affect axillary temperature readings.
Typically axillary temperatures are 0.5 to 1.0 Deg F lower than TAT. I believe the Exergen has a +-0.4 Deg F accuracy. Combine this with the accuracy of an axillary thermometer, along with the reasons stated above, and you have a recipe for some large temperature variations between TAT and axillary thermometera.
-Cipher
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