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Limitations of Forehead Infrared Body Temperature Detection for Fever Screening for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Chuan-Chuan Liu
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Physiology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei Department of Medical Technology, Yuanpei University of Science and Technology, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan
Ray-E Chang*
Affiliation:
Graduate Institute of Health Care Organization Administration, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
Wen-Cheng Chang
Affiliation:
Office of Deputy Superintendent, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
*
Graduate Institute of Health Care Organization Administration, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, No. 19, Su-Chow Rd., #306, Taipei, Taiwan

Abstract

We investigated alternative measurement methodology for infrared body thermometry to increase accuracy for outdoor fever screening during the 2003 SARS epidemic. Our results indicate that the auditory meatus temperature is a superior alternative compared with the forehead body surface temperature due to its close approximation to the tympanic temperature.

Type
Concise Communications
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2004

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