Nasopharynx is well‐suited for core temperature measurement during hypothermia therapy

• Published in: Pediatrics international Vol. 59; no. 1; pp. 29 - 33
• Main Authors: Hine, Kotaro, Hosono, Shigeharu, Kawabata, Ken, Miyabayashi, Hiroshi, Kanno, Keichi, Shimizu, Masaki, Takahashi, Shori
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.2017
• Subjects: Body Temperature - physiology; Brain damage; Cooling; Encephalopathy; Female; Humans; Hypothermia; Hypothermia, Induced - methods; Hypoxia; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain - physiopathology; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain - therapy; hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy; Infant, Newborn; Ischemia; Male; Monitoring, Physiologic - methods; Nasopharynx; Nasopharynx - physiology; neonate; Neonates; Pediatrics; Prospective Studies; Temperature; Temperature effects; Temperature measurement; temperature monitoring; therapeutic hypothermia; Thermometers; neonate; temperature monitoring; therapeutic hypothermia; hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy
• ISSN: 1328-8067; 1442-200X
• DOI: 10.1111/ped.13046

Background Rectal temperature is commonly used as the core temperature during therapeutic hypothermia therapy in neonates with hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). The purpose of this study was to examine whether nasopharyngeal temperature could serve as a substitute for rectal temperature. Methods We prospectively investigated 40 neonates with HIE who underwent therapeutic hypothermia by selective head cooling, which involved cooling the body to 34°C for 72 h. During this period, nasopharyngeal temperature was measured and compared with rectal temperature every hour. Results For 40 neonates included in this study, the mean rectal and nasopharyngeal temperatures were 34.3 ± 0.4°C (n = 2920) and 34.3 ± 0.4°C (n = 2920), respectively. Nasopharyngeal temperature strongly correlated with rectal temperature (R2 = 0.623, P < 0.0001) and magnitude of the mean difference between nasopharyngeal and rectal temperature varied little during the 72 h of therapeutic hypothermia. Conclusions Nasopharyngeal temperature in neonates with perinatal HIE undergoing therapeutic hypothermia may be a suitable substitute for rectal temperature.