Prehospital vital signs are an important and required component of patient assessment. We compared the temporal artery thermometer (TAT) to the digital thermometer currently used in our emergency medical service (EMS) system and then to the digital thermometer used in the emergency department. The primary objective of this study was to assess the usefulness of the TAT in the prehospital setting. Other outcomes of interest included whether extraneous factors or cold ambient temperatures affected the TAT readings and paramedic satisfaction with the TAT.

This was a prospective, observational study. Patient temperature was taken by EMS personnel with both the digital thermometer and the TAT, and a chart review was conducted on a sample of these patients to compare the TAT to the emergency department digital thermometer.

A total of 818 patients had their temperatures taken with both thermometers in the prehospital setting. The relationship between the TAT and digital thermometer measurement was positive and moderate; however, there was poor agreement between the two devices. Sixty-nine charts were reviewed, and a positive correlation was found between the TAT and the emergency department digital thermometer, with good agreement between the two devices. No extraneous factors were found to have a noticeable effect on the temperature measurements; the TAT performed well in cold weather, and the EMS personnel reported it to be easy to use.

The TAT appears to be a suitable alternative to digital thermometers currently used in many EMS systems. The paramedics involved in this study liked the TAT better than the in-ambulance digital thermometer and believed it to be more accurate. Further research on this topic is required.