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David L. Mandell, MD; Adam W. Pearl, MD; Michael A. Rothschild, MD

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2001;127:547-552.

Background  Infrared tympanic thermometry (ITT) is often used for postoperative recovery room monitoring regardless of recent minor otologic surgery.

Objective  To evaluate the use of ITT in pediatric patients who have undergone bilateral myringotomy with insertion of pressure-equalizing tubes.

Design  A prospective cohort study.

Setting  Tertiary care academic medical center.

Patients  Consecutive patients of a staff pediatric otolaryngologist (M.A.R.): (1) ear surgery group, children aged 10 years or younger undergoing bilateral myringotomy with insertion of pressure-equalizing tubes and (2) non–ear surgery group, children aged 10 years or younger undergoing bilateral tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy.

Interventions  Immediate preprocedure temperature measurements included right and left ear ITT. Immediate postprocedure temperature measurements included right and left ear ITT and thermistor probe rectal temperature.

Main Outcome Measures  The average difference between the preprocedure and postprocedure tympanic temperature in the ear surgery group was compared with that in the non–ear surgery group. The average difference between postprocedure rectal and ear temperature in the ear surgery group was compared with that in the non–ear surgery group.

Results  There were 20 patients (40 ears) in the ear surgery group and 20 patients (40 ears) in the non–ear surgery group. In the ear surgery group, the average difference between the preprocedure and postprocedure tympanic temperature (0.55°C) was not significantly different from that (0.62°C) in the non–ear surgery group (P = .66, 1-way analysis of variance). In the ear surgery group, the average difference between postprocedural rectal and ear temperature (1.94°C) was not significantly different from that (1.89°C) in the non–ear surgery group (P = .76, 1-way analysis of variance).

Conclusion  Recent minor ear surgery (bilateral myringotomy with insertion of pressure-equalizing tubes) does not have a significant effect on ITT measurements in pediatric patients.

From the Departments of Otolaryngology (Drs Mandell, Pearl, and Rothschild) and Pediatrics (Dr Rothschild), Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY.

Corresponding author: Michael A. Rothschild, MD, Department of Otolaryngology, Box 1189, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029 (e-mail: michaelr{at}idt.net).

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