Accuracy of the defining characteristics in nursing diagnoses of Hyperthermia in newborns.

OBJECTIVE: to clinically validate the accuracy of the defining characteristics in nursing diagnoses of Hyperthermia in newborns.

METHOD: a cross-sectional study conducted in units of medium and high risk in a maternity from the city of Fortaleza-CE. A total of 216 newborns were evaluated to identify the defining characteristics of diagnoses. A latent class model with random effects was used to measure sensitivity and specificity.

RESULTS: Hyperthermia was present in 5.6% of the sample. The characteristics lack of suction maintenance (31.3%); skin warm to touch (25.5%); lethargy (24.2%); and tachypnea (21.4%) were the most frequent. Stupor presented higher sensitivity (99.9%) and specificity (100%) while vasodilation characteristics, irritability and lethargy only showed significant values for specificity (92.7%, 91.6% and 74.3%, respectively).

CONCLUSION: four characteristics of high specificity contribute to Hyperthemia. However, stupor is the only one with significant sensitivity to identify it at its early-stage.