RATIONALE: Comparing results of three different thermometers used to measure body temperature may help doctors find the most accurate thermometer to detect fever and plan the best treatment.

PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying three different types of thermometers to measure temperature in young patients with fever and without fever.

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

• Determine agreement between three different types of temperature-measuring instruments: the temporal artery scanner, the digital oral thermometer, and the infrared tympanic thermometer calibrated to an oral setting, in pediatric patients who are febrile and afebrile.

Secondary

• Determine similarities or differences in the percent of fevers detected with oral, ear, and temporal artery monitoring in these pediatric patients.
• Determine differences in agreement of the various temperature devices in non-neutropenic pediatric patients versus neutropenic pediatric patients.

OUTLINE: This is a prospective study.

During an afebrile episode, the patient's temperature is measured twice using the following 3 devices: a temporal artery scanner, a digital oral thermometer, and an infrared tympanic thermometer calibrated to an oral setting (total of 6 temperature measurements per afebrile episode).

During a febrile episode, the patient's temperature is measured twice using all 3 devices as above, and then at 2 and 4 hours after administration of an antipyretic medication (total of 18 temperatures per febrile episode).

Patients' temperatures are recorded for a maximum of 3 afebrile or febrile episodes.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 32 patients will be accrued for this study.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Febrile or afebrile

• Patient at the Mark O. Harfield Clinical Research Center

  • Previously enrolled in an IRB-approved Clinical Center protocol

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Able to hold an oral thermometer in mouth
• No acute life-threatening infection
• No ear, nose, or throat (aural) abnormalities
• No severe mucositis

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No concurrent enrollment on a behavioral research study