Mean daily abdominal temperatures for the four infants ranged from 351c to 369c. Core 5 cm beyond the anus with an electronic telethermometer rectum 2 cm with a mercury in glass thermometer axilla and between the skin and mattress.
Hypothermia Nursing Diagnosis Amp Care Plan Nurseslabs
Measurement of core body temperature in preterm infants. Body temperatures of 99 term and 44 preterm infants were measured at four sites. The target body temperature was set at 368c as recommended by. The shielded abdominal skin temperature is known to correlate with the core body temperature due to near zero heat flux 12 13. Foot temperature means ranged from 353c to 371c. Body temperature is commonly measured to confirm the presence or absence of fever. Core 5 cm beyond the anus with an electronic telethermometer rectum 2 cm with a mercury in glass thermometer axilla and between the skin and mattress.
Body temperatures of 99 term and 44 preterm infants were measured at four sites. Transcutaneous thermometry is reliable for monitoring core body temperature as indicated by rectal temperature in stable preterm infants in a convective incubator. Temperatures measured at the four sites agreed closely in this group of largely normothermic infants. What constitutes normal temperature in preterm and term infants is still unclear resulting in a wide range of temperatures being accepted as normal. For this research we have used the world health organization who guidelines 1997 for temperature range which is between 365c and 375c. Infant prematurephysiology monitoring physiologicmethods.
A trained research nurse or neonatologist performed the rectal temperature measurements. Core temperature is generally defined as the temperature measured within the pulmonary artery. 45 our observations suggested that this equilibration took around seven minutes fig 1. Continuous rectal measurement is a reliable method to measure body temperature but might have adverse effects and is even contraindicated in case of low platelets or necrotising enterocolitis. However there remains considerable controversy regarding the most appropriate thermometer and the best anatomical site for temperature measurement. Hand temperature was very close to foot temperature in each infant with means ranging from 358c to 368c.
An inadequate body temperature in preterm infants influences morbidity and mortality. Transcutaneous temperature taken at a thermally insulated site in this instance the babys back insulated by a non conducting mattress represents core body temperature once the insulated skin warms to body temperature. The rectal temperature was considered the most accurate approximation of core body temperature the gold standard the same investigator measured the temporal artery temperature and axillary temperature of every infant. 11110344 indexed for medline mesh terms. Temperatures measured at the four sites agreed closely in this group of largely normothermic infants.
Gallery of Measurement Of Core Body Temperature In Preterm Infants
