Comparison of Esophageal and Intranasal Temperature Measurement in Anesthetized Dogs.

Intranasal thermometry is clinically acceptable for core temperature monitoring in anesthetized dogs.

This prospective observational study compared intranasal and esophageal temperature measurement methods in 73 anesthetized dogs undergoing elective procedures. Using a linear mixed-effects model, researchers found that intranasal thermometry yielded readings 0.2°C lower than esophageal measurement (95% CI: 0.131-0.225, p < 0.001). Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated a mean bias of -0.2°C with limits of agreement of ±1.3°C, indicating clinically acceptable variation. Patient factors including neuter status, body weight, age, and anesthetic risk class did not significantly influence readings. Post hoc equivalence testing using a clinically acceptable margin of ±0.5°C confirmed that intranasal measurement was clinically noninferior to esophageal measurement. The authors concluded that although intranasal thermometry slightly underestimates core body temperature compared to esophageal measurement, this difference is clinically insignificant and intranasal measurement represents a reasonable alternative surrogate for core temperature assessment in anesthetized canine patients.

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