A Thermometer User's Manual
Introduction
When you or someone in your family gets sick, your
doctor will want to know if there's a fever. To find
a fever by taking a temperature, you'll need a good
thermometer. But which thermometer should you buy? A
trip to the drugstore reveals a wide variety of models.
Prices range widely, too—from about $2 to about $70.
Surprisingly, the most expensive thermometer is not
necessarily the best. Depending on the ages of your
family members, you may choose to buy a few different
models. Glass thermometers and digital thermometers
can be used for oral, rectal or armpit readings. And
ear thermometers, forehead strips and fever pacifiers
for infants are available as alternative methods for
taking a temperature. You needn't spend more than $5
or $10 to get a correct temperature reading for everyone
in your family.
Follow your doctor's suggestions about how to take
a baby's or child's temperature. Because rectal temperatures
usually read one to two degrees higher than armpit temperatures,
be sure to tell your doctor which method you used.
Glass Thermometers
Glass thermometers cost about $2 each. These simple
devices offer the cheapest way to take a temperature.
Glass thermometers come in two types:
- a rectal model with a short, rounded bulb that goes
into the anus. The rectal thermometer can be used for
children until the age of five or six, when many children
learn to use an oral thermometer correctly.
- an oral model with a thin bulb that goes under the
tongue.
Both of the glass models can also take armpit temperature.
How to shake down a glass thermometer:
Before taking a temperature with a glass thermometer,
you must shake down the thermometer to bring the mercury
level to below 96°F.
To do this, hold the end opposite the bulb tightly
between your fingers and flick your wrist sharply several
times. Glass thermometers break easily, so you'll want
to do this away from counters or hard objects.
How to read a glass thermometer:
Glass thermometers contain mercury and need to be
read manually. Because it takes some practice to read
a glass thermometer, you may want to try it before one
of your family members becomes ill. Hold the thermometer
between your thumb and index finger at the end opposite
the bulb. Roll the thermometer back and forth slowly
until you see the mercury column. The number at the
end of the column is the temperature.
How to Take an Infant's or Child's Rectal Temperature:
1. Clean the bulb end of the glass thermometer with
rubbing alcohol or soap and water. Then rinse the thermometer
with cool, clear water.
2. Shake down the thermometer as discussed in the
previous instructions.
3. Put a little lubricant, such as petroleum jelly,
on the bulb end.
4. Lay the baby or young child chest down on a firm
surface. You can place an infant across your lap, but
put an older child on a changing table or on the floor.
5. To hold the child still, firmly place one hand
on the lower back, just above the buttocks.
6. With your other hand, gently insert the thermometer's
bulb end into the child's anus, 1/2 to 1 inch into the
opening. Keep the thermometer in place between your
second and third fingers with your hand cupped over
the child's buttocks. Don't let go.
7. Hold the thermometer in for two minutes.
8. Remove and read the thermometer.
How to Take an Oral Temperature (For Adults and Children):
1. Wait at least one half-hour after the person has
had something warm or cold to drink.
2. Clean and shake down the glass thermometer as
described in the previous instructions.
3. Put the bulb of the thermometer into the adult's
or child's mouth under the tongue. Leave the thermometer
undisturbed for three minutes.
4. Remove and read the thermometer.
A child over age six can usually hold an oral thermometer
in the mouth long enough to get an accurate temperature.
The child must be able to hold the thermometer under
the tongue with the mouth closed. Don't ever leave a
young child alone with a thermometer, and make sure
the child does not bite down on it.
How to Take an Armpit Temperature:
If you are not comfortable taking a child's rectal
temperature, or if your doctor advises, you may take
a baby's or young child's temperature by putting the
glass thermometer in the child's armpit.
For children:
1. Clean and shake down the glass thermometer as
described in the previous instructions.
2. With the child sitting on your lap, place the
thermometer into the armpit with the bulb toward the
child's back.
3. Hold the child's arm close to his or her side,
keeping the thermometer firmly in place for three minutes.
4. Remove and read the thermometer.
For adults:
1. Clean and shake down the glass thermometer as
described in the previous instructions.
2. Place the thermometer bulb into the armpit with
the bulb facing toward the back.
3. Keep the thermometer firmly in place for three
minutes.
4. Remove and read the thermometer.
Because a broken thermometer means exposure to mercury,
and because it takes a few minutes to get a reliable
temperature with a glass thermometer, some people prefer
to use a digital model.
Digital Thermometers
Housed in plastic and therefore more break-resistant
than a glass thermometer, a digital or electronic thermometer
costs about $7 to $12. The tiny battery it contains
should last about three years and can be replaced for
about $3. Like glass thermometers, digital devices reliably
reveal body temperature.
Many people find digital thermometers easy to use
for several reasons: the devices beep when they are
held in the right place, they give a clear signal when
temperature taking is completed, and the results are
easy to read. In addition, you can take oral and rectal
temperatures within about a minute, twice as fast as
with a glass thermometer. According to one digital thermometer
manufacturer, however, it takes about four minutes to
get an accurate armpit temperature.
With the addition of inexpensive disposable probe
covers, a single digital thermometer can be used orally,
rectally or in the armpit. Follow the manufacturer's
directions for use and cleaning, and follow your doctor's
directions for reporting temperature.
Ear Thermometers
Ear thermometers give a temperature reading in seconds
by measuring the heat produced in the eardrum. These
devices are the most expensive for taking temperatures
at home—they cost about $70, plus about $8 or $9 for
disposable probe covers.
Ear thermometers are fast, safe and easy to use.
But several studies have shown that their results don't
match the reliable rectal temperatures taken by glass
and digital thermometers.
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