Influence of minor ear surgery on infrared tympanic thermometry

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 degrees C) was not significantly different from that (0.62 degrees 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 degrees C) was not significantly different from that (1.89 degrees 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.