Are Infrared and Thermistor Thermometers Interchangeable for Measuring Localized Skin Temperature?

Localized skin temperature must be measured by accurate and reliable thermometers to effectively evaluate treatment outcomes, monitor changes, and predict potential complications. This study compared localized skin temperature measurements with a contact thermistor thermometer used as a reference standard and a noncontact infrared (IR) skin thermometer to determine their interchangeability with calculated Bland-Altman limits of agreement. Fifty-five adults ages 50 to 89 participated in the study in which data were collected in a climate-controlled room over 3 measurement periods, 1 week apart. The thermistor and IR thermometers were interchangeable with a limit of agreement of ± 1.5°C. This limit of agreement is acceptable as a reference standard for IR thermometers to measure localized skin temperature in clinical settings.