Table A1.

Summary of temperature measurements.

Measurement location	Accuracy	Special Requirements	Advantages	Disadvantages
Body surface	Poor	None	Easy and widely available (also in prehospital care)	Inaccurate
Oral	Poor	None	Easy and widely available (also in prehospital care)	Inaccurate
Axilla	Poor	None	Easy and widely available (also in prehospital care)	Inaccurate
Tympanic membrane	Good	Special insulated thermistor	Precise, repeatable, and brain core temperature (possible application in neurosurgery and deep hypothermia cardiac surgery)	High risk of measurement error
Rectum	Good	Rectal probe	Easy, widely available (also in prehospital conditions), precise, and repeatable	High latency
Urinary Bladder	Good	Urinary catheter	Precise and repeatable	High latency
Nasopharynx	Good	None	Easy and widely available (also in prehospital conditions)	High risk of measurement error
Esophagus	Most precise	Long esophageal thermistor	Easy, widely available (also in prehospital conditions), and repeatable	High latency
Pulmonary Artery	Most precise	Swan–Ganz catheter	Precise and repeatable	Invasive and restricted to intensive care units