BMC Pediatrics

Table 1 Temporal and tympanic measurements of temperature as a screening tool for fever (> = 38.0 °C)

From: Forehead or ear temperature measurement cannot replace rectal measurements, except for screening purposes

			Screening measures (in %)
Age group	Method	No. of children	Sensitivity	95% CI	Specificity	95% CI	Positive predictive value	95% CI	Negative predictive value	95% CI	Correctly classified	95% CI	AUC	95% CI
Total	Temporal	965	81	77-85	90	87-92	84	80-88	88	86-91	87	84-89	0.931	0.915-0.947
Total	Tympanic	995	89	86-92	94	92-96	91	87-93	93	91-95	92	90-94	0.972	0.963-0.981
0-5 months	Temporal	133	75	53-90	93	86-97	69	48-86	94	88-98	89	83-94	0.924	0.875-0.973
0-5 months	Tympanic	136	67	45-84	96	91-99	80	56-94	93	87-97	91	85-95	0.936	0.875-0.996
6-11 months	Temporal	124	80	67-89	91	82-97	88	75-95	85	75-92	86	79-92	0.943	0.905-0.980
6-11 months	Tympanic	128	93	82-98	96	89-99	94	84-99	95	87-99	95	89-98	0.984	0.964-1.000
12-35 months	Temporal	311	82	75-88	87	81-92	87	81-92	82	75-88	85	80-88	0.919	0.889-0.949
12-35 months	Tympanic	320	92	86-95	93	88-96	93	88-97	91	86-95	91	89-95	0.969	0.951-0.987
3-5 years	Temporal	162	92	83-97	88	79-94	86	76-93	93	85-97	90	85-94	0.961	0.934-0.986
3-5 years	Tympanic	169	92	84-97	90	82-96	89	80-95	93	86-98	91	86-95	0.981	0.964-0.997
6-11 years	Temporal	131	72	56-85	91	83-96	80	64-91	87	78-93	85	77-90	0.900	0.842-0.958
6-11 years	Tympanic	135	87	74-95	92	85-97	85	72-94	93	86-98	90	84-95	0.968	0.943-0.993
12-18 years	Temporal	104	74	52-90	93	85-97	74	52-90	93	85-97	88	80-94	0.932	0.878-0.986
12-18 years	Tympanic	107	84	64-96	98	92-100	91	72-99	95	88-99	94	88-98	0.963	0.925-1.000

CI confidence interval, AUC area under receiver-operating characteristics curve

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