Tympanic or rectal temperature measurement? A cost-minimization analysis.

In a cost-minimization study, we compared tympanic and rectal body temperature measurement in inpatients in a department of internal medicine. At all measurement volumes in a sensitivity analysis, tympanic temperature measurement had markedly lower average cost than rectal measurement, indicating a large savings potential if the former technique is used.

Accuracy of infrared ear thermometry in adult patients.

Objective: To assess (1) the agreement between infrared ear thermometry and core reference temperature (in the pulmonary artery). (2) the agreement between measurements in the right and left ears, and (3) the screening validity of infrared tympanic thermometry in detecting rectal fever.

Design: Temperatures were measured in both ears with an infrared thermometer, in one group of patients by simultaneous measurements with thermistors inserted in the pulmonary artery, esophagus, and rectum, and in the other group with a rectal glass-mercury thermometer.

A new in vitro assay for cell motility and proliferation.

We have described and characterized a new micropore membrane assay for migration and proliferation of cells of various tumourigenic potential. The assay was developed to facilitate analysis of some aspects of cancer invasion and metastasis. Tumorigenic and non-tumorigenic C3H/10 T 1/2 cells grow in and migrate out of a culture chamber during a 1-11 day period, the shorter periods are used for chambers with 6 micron thick polycarbonate membranes, the longer ones for 140 micron thick cellulose nitrate membranes.