Fever, Thermometer & Temperature Reading

It all started with SARS and now Swine Flu.

This is the Thermometer I'm using. All information is taken from the website of the Thermometer I'm using.

http://www.geratherm.com/en/
http://www.geratherm.com/en/

Methods:
1 • Oral measurement
2 • Rectal measurement
3 • Axillary measurement
4 • Aural measurement
5 • Forehead measurement

1 • Oral measurement
Measurement location: mouthThe best place to take the patient?s temperature is in the posterior sublingual pouch, i.e. the mouth tissue that is far back under the left or right side of the tongue. In these locations, the temperature corresponds most closely to that achieved by invasive techniques. When using this method, the patient must be able to keep his mouth closed and breathe freely through the nose. He should not have consumed any cold or hot drinks or food within the previous 30 minutes. Normal temperatures are usually between 36.6°C and 36.9°C. This method should only be used in patients over the age of about 4 or 5 years.

2 • Rectal measurement
Measurement location: rectumRectal measurement is an alternative if oral measurement is not suitable for some reason (use of warm or cold treatments around the head or throat, local inflammatory processes, babies and children under the age of 4/5). The rectal temperature is, on average, 0.3°C to 0.4°C higher than the oral temperature.In order to avoid injury or perforation of the rectum, the thermometer should not be inserted further than 2 or 3 cm. For greater ease of insertion, a lubricant should be used. Thermometers with a flexible tip are particularly useful for rectal temperature measurement in restless babies and toddlers.

3 • Axillary measurement
Measurement location: under the armThe under-arm is probably the oldest location for determining body temperature. The first temperature investigations by the German physician Wunderlich a century ago were carried out using exclusively axillary measurement. When his findings were published, which led to the introduction of daily temperature measurement in hospitals all over the world, axillary measurement became standard practice.In babies and young children, the axillary temperature is approximately equal to the rectal temperature. The time required for accurate measurement is around 8 or 9 minutes. Electronic thermometers used for axillary measurement should be operated in monitor mode and not in forecast mode. Axillary measurement is suitable for all age groups.

4 • Aural measurement
Measurement location: at the ear-drum. The ear-drum is an ideal location for temperature measurement. It is supplied with the same blood as the hypothalamus, the temperature regulation centre in the human body. Unlike "external temperature measurement?, such as oral, axillary and rectal measurement, the measurement of temperature at the ear-drum reveals the internal temperature of the body.The accuracy of this type of measurement depends heavily on the correct use of the thermometer and the design of the measuring tip. Since the aural canal is not straight, it takes some practice to precisely determine the infra-red radiation from the ear-drum using the optical measuring system. With children under the age of three years, the design of the probe tip for precise location in the ear is often a problem that leads to measurement inaccuracies. It is also very difficult to obtain accurate measurements in active, somewhat restless toddlers, because it is difficult to position the probe correctly in this age group, too. It is also not always possible to recognise a high temperature in children aged between one month and 10 years.In adults, very good measurement results have been obtained by stretching the auditory canal by pulling gently on the ear, enabling the probe to reach not only the auditory canal but the ear-drum, as the actual measurement location. If only the auditory canal is reached, the temperature measured may be as much as 1°C below the true body temperature.

5 • Forehead measurement
Measurement location: forehead and temple. As already mentioned, external body temperatures can be measured reasonably well close to large blood vessels.It is therefore possible to determine body temperature by means of IR sensors around the forehead and temples. The accuracy of thermometers designed for this type of measurement is, however, a matter of controversy.