TY - JOUR T1 - Evidence in practice — number 6: tympanic membrane thermometers JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 152 LP - 152 VL - 55 IS - 511 AU - Katherine Greenwood Y1 - 2005/02/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/55/511/152.abstract N2 - Clinical question — during the examination of children in general practice does an infrared tympanic thermometer accurately measure fever when compared with a mercury thermometer?Craig JV, Lancaster GA, Taylor S, et al. Infrared ear thermometry compared with rectal thermometry in children: a systematic review. Lancet 2002; 360: 603–609.The assessment of unwell children is a fundamental part of general practice and measurement of temperature is often necessary. My concern regarding the choice of equipment stems from an occasion when I used a tympanic membrane thermometer to measure the temperature of a child who appeared febrile. The first reading was recorded as normal, yet the reading from the other ear was elevated.After the … ER -