body temperature

PURPOSE• Detect fever.• Detect abnormally low body temperature

(hypothermia) in people who have been exposed to cold.

• Detect abnormally high body temperature (hyperthermia) in people who have been exposed to heat.

• Help monitor the effectiveness of a fever-reducing medicine.

• Help plan for pregnancy by determining if a woman is ovulating

Celcius = °C

TEMPERATURE SCALEIs measured in

36°C – 37.2 °C

NORMAL TEMPERATURE

Is

THE MOST COMMON SITES OF MEASURING BODY TEMPERATURE

TYPES OFTHERMOMETE

R

MERCURY GLASS / PLASTIC THERMOMETER

ELECTRONIC / DIGITAL THERMOMETER

CHEMICAL DISPOSABLE THERMOMETER /

TEMPERATURE SENSITIVE TAPE

INFRARED THERMOMETER( THERMOSCAN )

TEMPORAL ARTERY THERMOMETER

PRE PROCEDURE• Greet and explain procedure to the patient

PRE PROCEDURE• Provide privacy and perform hand hygiene

PRE PROCEDURE• Apply ear probe cover to thermoscan probe

PRE PROCEDURE• Ensure the reading in degree Celcius

PRE PROCEDURE• Inform patient to pull pinna, pull pinna

backward and downward and insert thermoscan probe into ear cannal

PRE PROCEDURE• Press ‘START’ button until heard ‘beep’

sound

PRE PROCEDURE• Remove probe from ear and inform patient

reading

PRE PROCEDURE• Remove ear probe cover and discard

appropraitely

POST PROCEDURE• Perform hand hygiene

POST PROCEDURE• Inform SRN or doctor abnormal result

POST PROCEDURE• Document reading

> 37.3 °C

ALSO CALLED PYREXIAIs a high temperature above normal range :

41°C

HYPERPYREXIAIs a very high

temperature above :

< 36°C

HYPOTHERMIAIs low temperature below

normal range :