Monitoring temperature in children under general anesthesia; nasopharynx versus carotid artery surface

continuous body temperature monitoring during anesthesia in children is very important.  Hypothermia in children results in increased morbidity and mortality. Measurement point of the core body temperature are not easily accessible. the purpose of this study was to measure skin temperature over the carotid artery and compare it with the nasopharynx.

Totally, 84 patients within the age range of 2 - 10 years, undergoing elective surgery, were selected. Temperature skin over carotid artery and nasopharynx was measured during anesthesia.  Then mean temperature of these points was compared which each other and the effects of age, sex and weight change of temperature during anesthesia were evaluated.

The mean age of patients was 5.4 ± 2.6 years s. 37% of patients were female and 63% were male. The mean weight was 20 ± 7 kg. The mean duration of surgery was 60.45±6.65min. Temperature of skin and nasopharynx was decreased during surgery as after 60 min the deference between skin over carotid artery and nasopharyngeal area was 1°c. Variables of the mean nasopharyngeal temperature, mean carotid temperature, age, sex and weight were entered into the regression model. The model’s coefficients for age and sex were not significant. But body weight has a significant effect on carotid skin temperature.

Skin temperature over the carotid artery, with a simple correction factor of +1 °C, provides a viable noninvasive estimate of nasopharyngeal temperature in children during elective surgery with a general anesthetic.