Body temperature readings provide vital information for accurate diagnoses and required therapies. However, standard practices for measuring body temperature in intensive care units (ICUs) vary and often require invasive methods with limited accuracy in different types of patients.
Schell-Chaple and colleagues evaluated a new, noninvasive monitoring system that is applied to the lateral forehead, called SpotOn. They compared temperatures taken with the SpotOn system with rectal and bladder temperatures in febrile adult patients. They found the following:
The SpotOn method was accurate. Although the authors recommend further research to test for longer periods, they suggest this noninvasive system be considered for continuous monitoring of core temperature in ICU patients.
See Article, pp 43–50
Family-centered care (FCC) enables and empowers families through improved communication and involvement in their child’s care. However, recent changes in FCC have incorporated a customer service emphasis that can be challenging for staff.
The research team interviewed...