would be used to report a temperature procedure under patient arm

Place the forearm across the chest and ensure the upper arm is resting against the patient's side. Leave the thermometer in place for 5 minutes. This will ensure that the reading will be accurate. Remove the thermometer, read, and immediately record the temperature on the record chart or in the patient's notes.

Full Answer

Is it safe to take underarm temperature with a thermometer?

But just because underarm temperature isn’t very precise doesn’t mean that it isn’t useful. It can be a good way to screen for changes in body temperature. A digital thermometer is useful for taking underarm temperature. Don’t use a mercury thermometer, which can be dangerous if it breaks. To measure underarm temperature:

Should practitioners be adequately aware of patient temperature?

Practitioners should be acutely aware of patients’ temperature because it serves as a useful indicator of change in their clinical condition. A review has illustrated that none of the methods for measuring temperature at the bedside are perfect (Davie and Amoore, 2010).

How do you take a patient's temperature with a thermometer?

Place the forearm across the chest and ensure the upper arm is resting against the patient's side. Leave the thermometer in place for 5 minutes. This will ensure that the reading will be accurate. Remove the thermometer, read, and immediately record the temperature on the record chart or in the patient's notes.

What should be the baseline temperature of a patient undergoing surgery?

This baseline temperature should be discussed with parents/caregivers and communicated to the receiving ward or day surgery. If the post-operative temperature is <36⁰C but ≥35.5⁰C, the patient is rousable and all other vital signs are stable and within normal range, they can be transferred to the ward.

How do you record temperature under arm?

Place the thermometer in the axilla (armpit). Place the forearm across the chest and ensure the upper arm is resting against the patient's side. Leave the thermometer in place for 5 minutes. This will ensure that the reading will be accurate.

Which temperature route is taken under the patient's arm?

There are 4 ways to take (measure) a temperature: Under the armpit (axillary method)

What instrument is used to measure the temperature of a patient?

thermometerAn instrument used to measure temperature is called thermometer.

How do you use a clinical thermometer under the arm?

Using a digital axillary (same as oral) thermometer Remove the child's shirt and place the thermometer tip into your child's armpit. Make sure your child's armpit is dry to get the most accurate reading. Keep the axillary thermometer in place by folding your child's arm across his or her chest.

What is axillary route?

The axillary route is a minimally invasive way to measure temperature. It is commonly used in children. It is important to ensure that the thermometer is as high up in the axilla as possible with full skin contact and that the client's arm is then lowered down.

Do you add a degree under the arm for adults?

An armpit temperature is generally 1 degree lower than an oral temperature. It can be nearly 2 degrees lower than a rectal temperature, which is the most accurate. Was this helpful?

What is the most accurate method of measuring body temperature?

rectal measurementTaking a rectal measurement is the most reliable way to obtain a core temperature value. Result variation with this type of measurement is low and the precision is particularly high. The normal temperature range is approximately between 36.6 °C and 38.0 °C.

Where do you measure temperature?

Ways to Take a TemperatureRectal. The thermometer is placed in the child's bottom. ... Oral. The thermometer is placed in the mouth under the tongue. ... Axillary. The thermometer is placed in the armpit.Tympanic. The thermometer is placed in the ear.Temporal artery. The thermometer scans the surface of the forehead.

Which temperature is correct oral or armpit?

An armpit (axillary) temperature is usually 0.3°C (0.5°F) to 0.6°C (1°F) lower than an oral temperature. A forehead (temporal) scanner is usually 0.3°C (0.5°F) to 0.6°C (1°F) lower than an oral temperature.

How do you check body temperature?

How do I take a temperature?Clean the tip with cold water and soap, then rinse it.Turn the thermometer on.Put the tip under your tongue, towards the back of your mouth.Close your lips around the thermometer.Wait until it beeps or flashes.Check the temperature on the display.

Why Do I Need to Check An Axillary temperature?

An axillary temperature may be done to check for a fever. "Fever" is a word used for a temperature that is higher than normal for the body. A fever...

What Kind of Thermometer Is Used to Take An Axillary temperature?

1. A digital thermometer may be used to take an axillary temperature. It is a small hand-held device with a "window" showing your temperature in nu...

How Do I Use A Digital Thermometer?

Wait at least 15 minutes after bathing or exercising before taking your axillary temperature. 1. Take the thermometer out of its holder. 2. Put the...

How Do I Use A Glass Thermometer?

Wait at least 15 minutes after bathing or exercising before taking your axillary temperature. 1. Take the thermometer out of its holder. 2. Hold th...

Why is it important to check the temperature of a patient before surgery?

All patients must be assessed for fitness before they can undergo surgery. As part of this assessment it is important to check and record the patient's temperature. There are two reasons for this: It provides an initial recording (a ‘baseline’). If the temperature rises above this level after surgery, we are alerted to the fact ...

Where to take temperature in armpit?

Ask the patient to loosen any tight clothing or remove long-sleeved garments so it is possible to access the axilla. Hold the thermometer at the upper end. Shake it to ensure all the mercury is at the bottom.

How to disinfect thermometer?

Disinfect the thermometer by wiping with an alcohol wipe, or use a swab moistened with the disinfectant. Dry with a tissue or swab.

How long should you leave a thermometer in place?

Place the forearm across the chest and ensure the upper arm is resting against the patient's side. Leave the thermometer in place for 5 minutes. This will ensure that the reading will be accurate.

What is the most accurate thermometer?

Clinical glass thermometers. This article will cover checking the temperature using a clinical glass thermometer which contains mercury. This is the most accurate and most commonly used thermometer. Digital thermometers are available but they require batteries which may not be readily available.

What is the normal temperature of a human body?

The normal range for human body temperature is between 36°C and 38°C. However, it is usual to consider a reading above 37.2°C as suspicious. Repeat checks should be done. A patient's temperature may be altered due to hormonal changes, exposure to heat or cold, exercise, and infection. You will need.

How to get mercury readings down?

Hold the thermometer at the upper end. Shake it to ensure all the mercury is at the bottom. Clinical glass thermometers have a constriction in the tube so that once the mercury is above the constriction it cannot go down again until shaken. If you do not shake the thermometer it will result in an inaccurate reading.

Why do we need to check axillary temperature?

Why do I need to check an axillary temperature? An axillary temperature may be done to check for a fever. "Fever" is a word used for a temperature that is higher than normal for the body. A fever may be a sign of illness, infection or other conditions.

What is the best thermometer for axillary temperature?

Glass thermometers with red or blue alcohol inside may also be used for axillary temperatures. Glass thermometers with galinstan (GAL-in-stan) may also be used to check an axillary temperature. Galinstan thermometers have a silver colored line, but will be marked "mercury-free" when you buy one.

How to clean a thermometer tip?

Take the thermometer out of its holder. Put the tip into a new throw-away plastic cover. If you do not have a cover, clean the pointed end (probe) with soap and warm water or rubbing alcohol. Rinse it with cool water. Put the end with the covered tip securely in your armpit. Hold your arm down tightly at your side.

What to do if mercury thermometer breaks?

If your mercury thermometer breaks, do not touch the thermometer or the mercury. Do not try to clean up the spill. Open your windows to air out the area. Take children and pets out of the area right away. Contact the following: 24-Hour Nationwide Poison Control Hotline. National Capital Poison Center.

What is the axillary temperature?

What is it? An axillary (AK-sih-lar-e) temperature (TEM-per-ah-chur) is when your armpit (axilla) is used to check your temperature. A temperature measures body heat. A thermometer (ther-MOM-uh-ter) is used to take the temperature in your armpit. An axillary temperature is lower than one taken in your mouth, rectum, or your ear.

How to keep a thermometer from breaking?

If the line reads more than 96° F (35.6° C), firmly shake the thermometer downward several times. Shake the thermometer over a couch or bed. This will keep it from breaking if it slips out of your hand.

How long should you hold a glass thermometer?

Infants and children may move suddenly and break the glass thermometer next to their skin. You may need to hold a glass thermometer in place for up to ten minutes in order to get a correct axillary temperature reading.

Where to place a thermometer in the armpit?

Procedure: Place thermometer tip in the centre of the armpit over the axillary artery, ensuring skin is dry and intact prior to probe placement. Place the patient’s arm securely against their body. Turn thermometer on. For a more accurate reading, wait >3 minutes with thermometer in situ before obtaining a measurement.

When assessing body temperature, it is important to consider patient-based and environmental-based factors, including prior administration of

When assessing body temperatures, it is important to consider patient-based and environmental-based factors, including prior administration of antipyretics and recent environmental exposures. Body temperature should always be evaluated in the context of other vital signs and overall patient presentation.

How often should body temperature be measured?

Body temperature should be measured on admission and four hourly with other vital signs, unless clinically indicated for more frequent measurements. Body temperatures falling outside normal ranges should be monitored and further managed where appropriate until normothermia is achieved.

Why should the same route be used for patient observations?

Due to temperature variation between body sites, ideally the same route should be used for ongoing patient observations, as to allow for accurate temperature trend evaluation. Document the route used in EMR.

What is thermoregulation in medical terms?

Thermoregulation is overwhelmed by excessive metabolic production and environmental heat, in combination with impaired heat loss. This is uncommon within an inpatient setting. Low temperature: A lowered body temperature, where the body loses heat faster than it can produce heat.

Why is it important to determine the baseline for individual patients?

It is important to ascertain the baseline for individual patients in order to identify abnormal body temperature deviations. Pyrexia: An elevated body temperature due to an increase in the body temperature’s set point. This is usually caused by infection or inflammation.

What is a mercury thermometer?

1. Mercury thermometers (Clinical thermometer):Clinicalthermometers are meant for clinical purposes. It is developed for measuring the human body temperature . It is a long narrow glass tube with a bulb containing mercury at the end.

Why are older people more sensitive to temperature?

Older adults are sensitive to temperature extremes because of deterioration in control mechanisms, reduced sweat gland activity, reduced amounts of subcutaneous fat and reduced metabolism. 2. Exercise: Muscle activity causes increased metabolism by increasing carbohydrate and fat breakdown. Any form of exercise can increase heat production and ...

What are the four sites of measuring body temperature?

There are four sites for measuring body temperature, these includes Oral, Rectal, Axillary, and Tympanic membrane. Assessing body temperature is a nursing procedure that provide a baseline data for subsequent evaluation and nurses to determine changes in the core temperature of patient in response to a specific medical intervention such giving an antipyretic drug, a therapy and minor or invasive procedure.

How to use a tympanic thermometer?

Inserting a Tympanic Thermometer: 1 Adult = Pull the pinna slightly upward and backward. Point the probe slightly anteriorly, toward the eardrum. Insert the probe slowly using a circular motion until snug. 2 Infant = Pull the pinna straight back and slightly downward. Direct the probe tip anteriorly and insert as far as enough to seal the canal. 3 Over 3 years old = Pull the pinna of the ear back and up. 4 Under 3 years old = Pull the pinna of the ear back and down

How long should you wait to take your mouth temperature?

Food, fluids, or warm smoke can affects mouth temperature. If in case that patient has just ingested hot or cold food, wait 30 minutes before talking a temperature orally. Do not take oral temperature for patient who just undergone oral surgery to prevent injury. The proper placement of thermometer bulb is on either side of the frenulum ...

What is temperature sensitive tape?

Temperature-sensitive Tape. It obtains only your body surface temperature and does not indicate the core temperature. The tape is applied to the skin, forehead and abdomen. Inside the tape is a liquid crystals that change color according to temperature. Infrared Thermometer.

When did mercury thermometers stop being used?

The use of mercury-in-glass thermometer was eliminated in 1988 and no longer exists in health care environment. There are three types of thermometer tips, long, short, slender or rounded tips. Electronic Thermometer. This thermometer can provide a temperature reading in just 2 to 60 seconds.

Can you force a thermometer?

Never force the thermometer if you felt resistance. For adults, insert 3.5 cm or 1 1/2 inch. Axilla. It is safe and noninvasive and is preferred site for measuring temperature in newborn. Axillary method is inaccurate as some research said.

Can you insert a rectal temperature?

Inserting a rectal temperature can produce vagal stimulation which results myocardial damage. Rectal temperatures are contraindicated for patients with diarrhea, immunosupressed, with rectal disease, have a clotting disorder, haemorrhoids and who are undergoing rectal operation. Before performing this method, use clean glove and instruct ...

Why is it important to measure body temperature?

It is vital to measure temperature accurately as it has an impact on diagnosis and treatment.

What is body temperature?

Body temperature is one of the four main vital signs that must be monitored to ensure safe and effective care. Temperature measurement is recommended by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence a part of the initial assessment in acute illness in adults (NICE, 2007) and by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network guidelines ...

Where is the thermoregulatory centre located?

The thermoregulatory centre is located in the hypothalamus in the brain. It consists of the heat-loss centre, the heat-promoting centre and the pre-optic region, which analyse and coordinate responses to maintain body temperature within the homeostatic range (Marieb and Hoehn, 2010).

Where is the core temperature found?

Core body temperature is found in the blood supplying organs such as the brain and those in the abdominal and thoracic cavities. Core temperature may be affected by intrinsic factors and, to a lesser degree, extrinsic (environmental) factors.

Introduction

Aim

Definition of Terms

Temperature Ranges

Assessment

at Risk Patient Groups

Management

Special Considerations

Companion Documents

Additional Useful Links