Accuracy of a New Zero-heat-flux Cutaneous Thermometer (SpotOn™) in Pediatric Intensive Care Patients

Abstract

Background: In pediatric intensive care, temperature management is very important and requires precise monitoring. The new zero-heat-flux cutaneous thermometer (SpotOn™) has been introduced as a measurement tool with good correlation to core body temperature. The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of SpotOn™ in pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) patients.Methods: Critically ill pediatric patients weighing less than 10 kg were included in this study. After admission to the ICU, core body temperature was measured with both the SpotOn™ system and a rectal thermistor and recorded at one-minute intervals.Results: From 30 patients, 53,492 pairs of temperature data were collected and analyzed retrospectively. The median age and weight of the patients were 4.5 months and 5.6 kg, respectively. SpotOn™ showed a good correlation with measured rectal temperature, with a Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.729 (p<0.001). However, a Bland-Altman analysis showed that the SpotOn™ bias in comparison to rectal temperature was +0.87°C (SD: 0.51°C), and the 95% limits of agreement (LOA) were ∁E.14°C and 1.83°C.Conclusions: The SpotOn™ system has a low level of accuracy as a method of monitoring core body temperature in pediatric patients weighing less than 10 kg.

Keywords

• core body temperature
• pediatric
• intensive care unit
• spoton™
• zero-heat-flux