The effect of auricular position on measurement values and comfort in measuring body temperature by tympanic method in pediatric patients

The study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial to examine the effect of the auricula position on measurement values and comfort in tympanic temperature measurement in pediatric patients aged 3-17 years. The study population consisted of patients hospitalized in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of a training and research hospital between December 2022 and March 2024. The sample included a total of 68 patients who met the inclusion criteria, with 34 in the experimental group and 34 in the control group. Data were collected using a Data Collection Form, the Comfort Daisies, and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). IBM SPSS®27.0 software was used for statistical analysis. In the experimental group (EG), measurements were taken first by positioning the auricula up and back and then without positioning, while in the control group (CG), measurements were taken first without positioning the auricula and then with positioning. A two-minute interval was maintained between measurements. The groups were homogeneous in terms of individual and intensive care environment characteristics. In the EG, the tympanic temperature measurement value was 36.85°C, the Comfort Daisies score was 3.59, and the VAS xv score was 0.26 when the auricula was positioned. Without positioning, the tympanic temperature measurement value was 36.83°C, the Comfort Daisies score was 3.68, and the VAS score was 0.00. In the CG, the tympanic temperature measurement value was 37.05°C, the Comfort Daisies score was 3.71, and the VAS score was 0.30 when the auricula was positioned. Without positioning, the tympanic temperature measurement value was 36.86°C, the Comfort Daisies score was 3.74, and the VAS score was 0.57. While no difference was found between the measurements with and without positioning in the EG, in the CG, the temperature measurement was 0.19°C higher (p<0,001), but this difference was not clinically significant. No significant difference was found between the Comfort Daisies and VAS scores with and without auricula positioning in both the EG and CG (p>0.05). In conclusion, there was no difference in tympanic temperature measurement values and comfort scores whether the auricula was positioned or not, indicating that both methods are usable. Additionally, Kolcaba's Comfort Daisies was determined to be a useful tool for assessing the comfort of pediatric patients. However, it is recommended to repeat studies on auricula positioning in tympanic thermometer measurements in pediatric patients with larger samples.