Body temperature is checked in different ways:

1. Rectally - in the rectum.
2. Orally - in the mouth.
3. Under the arm.
4. On the forehead - for this, infrared scanners are used to check the artery.
5. In the ear - also with the help of scanners.

For each method, there are electronic thermometers specifically designed for each location. There is plenty to choose from. But there is also a problem: cheap (sometimes not very cheap) devices often lie or fail. Therefore, when choosing an electronic thermometer, do not skimp, be sure to read the reviews and check the mercury readings at least once.

The latter, by the way, is preferred by many. A maximum mercury thermometer (as a thermometer is correctly called) costs a penny and is quite accurate, which cannot be said about many electronic devices with “so-so” quality. However, it is dangerous because it is easy, and shards of glass and mercury vapor have not made anyone healthier.

No matter what kind of thermometer you use, read its instructions first.

After each use, it would be good to clean the thermometer: wash it, if possible, or wipe it with an antiseptic. Be careful if the thermometer is sensitive to moisture and may become damaged. It’s embarrassing to mention, but still, a thermometer for rectal measurements should not be used anywhere else.

How to measure the temperature under the arm

Most often, we measure the temperature under the arm with a regular mercury or electronic thermometer. Here's how to do it right:

1. You should not take your temperature after eating or exercising. Wait half an hour.
2. Before starting the measurement, the glass thermometer must be shaken off: the mercury column should show less than 35 °C. If the thermometer is electronic, just turn it on.
3. The armpit should be dry. The sweat needs to be wiped off.
4. Keep your hand pressed tightly. In order for the temperature under the armpit to become the same as inside the body, the skin must warm up, and this takes time. It is better to press the child’s shoulder yourself, for example, by picking up the baby in your arms.
5. The good news: if you follow the previous rule, the mercury thermometer will take 5 minutes, not 10, as is commonly believed. Many electronic thermometers respond to temperature changes and measure as long as these changes exist. Therefore, if you do not press your hand, the temperature may change for a long time and the results will be inaccurate.

How to measure temperature rectally

This method is sometimes needed when you need to check the temperature of babies: it is difficult for them to hold their hand, it is unsafe to put something in their mouth, and not everyone has an expensive infrared sensor.

1. The part of the thermometer that you will insert into the rectum should be lubricated with petroleum jelly or petroleum jelly (available at any pharmacy).
2. Place the child on his side or back, bend his legs.
3. Carefully insert the thermometer into the anus 1.5–2.5 cm (depending on the size of the sensor), hold the child while the measurement is taken. A mercury thermometer should be held for 2 minutes, an electronic one - for as long as written in the instructions (usually less than a minute).
4. Remove the thermometer and look at the data.
5. Treat your child's skin if necessary. Wash the thermometer.

How to measure the temperature in your mouth

This method is not suitable for younger children four years, because at this age children cannot yet reliably hold a thermometer. Do not take your mouth temperature if you have eaten something cold in the last 30 minutes.

1. Wash the thermometer.
2. The sensor or reservoir of mercury should be placed under the tongue and the thermometer should be held with the lips.
3. Use a regular thermometer to measure the temperature for 3 minutes, and an electronic thermometer for as long as necessary according to the instructions.

How to measure ear temperature

There are special infrared thermometers for this: it is useless to stick other thermometers into the ear. Children under 6 months old should not have their ear temperature measured. Age guidelines, because due to developmental characteristics, the results will be inaccurate. You can measure the temperature in your ear only 15 minutes after you return from the street.

Pull your ear slightly to the side and insert the thermometer probe into your ear. It takes a few seconds to measure.

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Some infrared devices measure temperature on the forehead, where the artery runs through. Data from the forehead or ear are not as accurate Fever: First aid, as with other measurements, but they are fast. But for household measurements, it is not so important what your temperature is: 38.3 or 38.5 °C.

How to read a thermometer

The measurement result depends on the accuracy of the thermometer, the correctness of the measurements and where the measurements were taken.

The temperature in the mouth is higher than under the armpit by 0.3–0.6 °C, rectal - by 0.6–1.2 °C, in the ear - up to 1.2 °C. That is, 37.5 °C is an alarming figure for measurement under the arm, but not for rectal measurement.

The norm also depends on age. In children under one year old, the rectal temperature is up to 37.7 °C (36.5–37.1 °C under the arm), and there is nothing wrong with that. The 37.1°C under the armpit that we suffer from becomes a problem as we age.

In addition, there are individual characteristics. A healthy adult's temperature ranges from 36.1 to 37.2°C under the armpit, but someone's personal normal is 36.9°C and someone else's is 36.1. The difference is big, so in an ideal world it would be nice to take your temperature for fun when you are healthy, or at least remember what the thermometer showed during your medical examination.

Ear inflammation is a pathology, the causative agents of which can be bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The main symptoms of inflammatory ear disease are pain, tinnitus, leakage of pus from the ear canal, and cold symptoms. The temperature during ear inflammation can rise to critical levels. The treatment regimen includes antibiotics, drugs to reduce pain, antipyretics, drops in the ears and nose.

There are the following causes of the disease:

• weakened immune system;
• complication of a cold;
• the presence of chronic diseases in the patient;
• head injuries, foreign objects in the ear canal;
• violation of hygiene rules.

The immediate impetus for the development of inflammation can be improper nose blowing (the patient tries to blow mucus out of both nasal passages at once), and holding back sneezing (covering his nose with his fingers). Such actions lead to the throwing of mucus from the nose into the middle ear.

Types of otitis

1. Otitis externa affects the concha and external meatus.
2. Otitis media - the disease develops with the auditory ossicles located in it.
3. Internal otitis is a lesion of the inner part of the ear with the apparatus located in it responsible for balance (vestibular).

Signs of illness

Otitis occurs with a rise in temperature. The temperature curve begins to rise from the first minutes of the disease. The degree of its rise depends on a number of reasons.

1. Age of the patient (in children, the rise is usually higher due to the immaturity of thermoregulation systems).
2. The degree of body resistance (in people with problems in the immune system, the body’s reaction is weak).
3. The presence of chronic diseases (any concomitant diseases weaken the patient’s body).
4. Type of pathogen.

It should be remembered that hyperthermia is a way to overcome the causative agent of the disease.

Pain can be the first symptom of pathology. Some time before its appearance, the patient may be bothered by cold symptoms. At first, the pain is acute, shooting in nature, intensifies when chewing food, coughing, hypothermia of the area of ​​​​the diseased organ, radiates to the teeth or bones of the skull, temple. From the moment pus forms, the pain becomes throbbing and unbearable. The severity of pain decreases after the pus comes out.

Acute otitis media is characterized by ear congestion and noise on the affected side. These patients are characterized by chills, loss of appetite, and lethargy. After the eardrum ruptures, pus begins to leak from the external auditory canal.

Internal otitis begins with imbalance and hearing impairment. The patient experiences a sensation of extraneous noise in the affected ear and dizziness. These symptoms intensify with sudden turns of the head.

The disease is accompanied by mucous or purulent discharge from the nose (a symptom of a cold).

Character of the temperature curve

Inflammation in the ears is characterized by hyperthermia with fluctuations in different time days. As a rule, in the morning hours its numbers decrease and increase in the evening. Such fluctuations can exceed 1 C and last for 3-4 days.

Reasons for the temperature drop:

• the patient starts taking antibiotics;
• The membrane ruptures and pus flows out.

If complications occur (a breakthrough of pus into the cranial cavity with the development of an abscess in the brain tissue), the temperature rises sharply and the patient’s condition worsens.

Diagnostics

1. General blood analysis.
2. Inspection with a special funnel - examine the external auditory canal and eardrum. The membrane is red, bulges outward, and may have a hole. In this case, there will be pus in the passage.
3. Sowing pus onto a nutrient medium.
4. Audiometry – for diagnosing hearing impairment.
5. Determination of dysfunctions of the vestibular analyzer - finger-nose test, study of trembling of the eyeballs.
6. X-ray examination of the head to detect skull injuries and detect pus.
7. A CT scan of the temporal bone is performed to identify pus in this area.
8. MRI is performed to diagnose purulent complications.

Treatment

The basis of treatment is antibacterial agents. Antibiotics are taken at regular intervals for at least 7-10 days. In the first days of illness, the doctor may prescribe antibiotic injections. After the patient’s well-being improves, they can be switched to tablets or capsules (in each case, the decision is made individually by a specialist). Only the attending physician selects antibiotics and changes their dose.

Antibiotics can provoke allergic reactions. Therefore, if a skin rash or itching is detected, the patient should consult a doctor, who will change this remedy to another.

Fighting hyperthermia

The fight against hyperthermia begins at numbers of 38.5 C and above. The exception is when in this state the patient begins to have convulsions, visions appear, consciousness becomes clouded, or the convulsions previously occurred against the background of a high temperature.

The fight against hyperthermia is carried out according to the following principles:

• among antipyretic drugs, preference is given to paracetamol;
• For children, the drug is used in syrup or suppositories (placed in the rectum);
• after taking the drug, the patient does not need to be wrapped;
• measure the temperature again after 15-20 minutes.

It is good to alternate this remedy with wiping the patient with water. To do this, the skin of the torso, arms and legs is rubbed until red with water at room temperature using a cloth made of natural material. After this, the patient is left undressed for some time. The temperature is measured again after 10-15 minutes.

Traditional medicine

At home, camphor oil is used. It is diluted with distilled water by half and heated in hands or in a water bath. Oil is dripped 1-2 drops 2-3 times a day. The area of ​​the ear canal is covered with cotton wool, and the head is wrapped in a woolen scarf.

Camphor oil is an antiseptic and reduces pain. Camphor oil can be used only at the very beginning of the disease, before pus forms. Camphor oil is contraindicated for children under two years of age and patients with epilepsy.

You can use camphor oil in compresses on the area around the diseased organ. To do this, moisten a thick ball of gauze with oil, cover it with cellophane, a ball of cotton wool, and wrap it all with a scarf.

The juice of onion, garlic, and aloe works well (good bactericidal preparations).

The onion (unpeeled) is simmered in a water bath until softened and juice appears, then squeezed through cheesecloth. Instill 1-2 drops of warm onion juice twice a day. This antiseptic will also help in the fight against noise.

It is better to use aloe juice from old leaves (over three years old). Garlic juice must be diluted in distilled water or glycerin before instillation. This can prevent the ear canal skin from burning.

To combat cold symptoms, means are used to stimulate the defenses (tea from linden flowers, raspberry stems, viburnum berries). Sugar is replaced with honey.

Conclusion

Otitis can be external, middle, internal (depending on location), acute and chronic (depending on the course). Symptoms differ depending on the location of the pathology. Antibiotics are used for at least seven (if necessary, ten) days. To combat fever, there are antipyretics (paracetamol). From folk remedies Camphor oil, aloe juice, propolis will help. But you must remember that it is better to seek help from a specialist. And only after that start treatment. To combat cold symptoms, linden, raspberries, viburnum, and honey are used.

Otitis media, or inflammation of the ear canals, is a disease that often occurs in childhood. Doctors say that by the age of three, 90% of children experience this disease at least once. Otitis has a number of characteristic symptoms, one of them is fever, which is very worrying for parents of sick children. How long does the fever last for this disease and how to alleviate the child’s condition?

An infectious-inflammatory process in the ear canal occurs as a complication of viral and bacterial infections of the respiratory system and nasopharynx. The causative agents of the disease are usually adenoviruses, influenza viruses, Haemophilus influenzae and pneumococci. Due to the fact that the functioning of the immune system in childhood is not very well established, otitis often accompanies diseases characterized by difficulty in nasal breathing - sore throat, sinusitis, rhinitis, laryngitis, etc.

In infants, the reason for the development of the disease lies in the special structure of the hearing organs. A small tube, called the Eustachian tube, passes close to the pharynx in infants, which allows pathogenic microorganisms to easily penetrate the ear. In addition, children under the age of one year are constantly in a horizontal position, which is why mucus flows into the Eustachian tube, causing inflammatory processes. With age, the auditory tube becomes longer, narrower and located at a greater angle to the pharynx, as a result of which mucous secretions practically do not enter the ears.

Important! Otitis media has a number of characteristic features, by which it is quite easy to recognize the disease: ear pain, weakness, dyspeptic symptoms (nausea, vomiting) and increased body temperature, but in general the baby’s condition depends on the form of the disease.

Table. Main forms of otitis.

In addition to the above classification, otitis media is divided according to the localization of the inflammatory process, which can occur in the outer or middle ear, in acute or chronic form, etc.

On a note! The most difficult to diagnose is exudative otitis media, since it is practically asymptomatic, and children and parents practically do not pay attention to slight hearing loss and tinnitus.

It also causes some difficulties in identifying the disease in infants who cannot talk about their condition. Signs of otitis in this case are moodiness and anxiety, breast refusal, constant crying without apparent reason and hearing loss (the child does not respond to parental voices or extraneous sounds). You can diagnose the disease in infants using a simple test - just lightly press on a small protrusion (tragus) next to the baby's ear. If the child cries a lot after this, it means that this movement caused an increase in pain, which is typical for otitis media.

Why does the temperature rise with otitis media?

An increase in temperature is a natural reaction of the body to inflammatory and infectious processes in the body. The numbers on the thermometer for this disease depend on the clinical course, the state of immunity and the age of the child - infants tolerate the disease much more difficult than older children.

Most often, a high temperature occurs with a purulent form of otitis, and the fever lasts until the pus comes out of the ear, on its own or after appropriate medical procedures. The duration of the hyperthermic stage can be from 3 to 7 days, after which the temperature drops to normal limits.

Another reason for the increase in temperature during otitis is complications of the disease that develop as a result of improper treatment. The most dangerous consequences of ear inflammation are mastoiditis (damage to the tissue of the mastoid process, accompanied by the development of osteomyelitis), meningitis and otogenic sepsis. The development of complications is characterized by the following clinical picture: the patient’s condition improves for several days, after which ear pain, fever and other manifestations of the disease reappear.

Can otitis media occur without fever?

Otitis is not always accompanied by an increase in temperature - there are several forms of the disease for which fever is not characteristic. Most often, this course of the disease is observed during an inflammatory process caused not by infectious infection, but by mechanical damage to the skin of the ear canal. A wound forms at the site of damage, causing a burning sensation and pain, which intensifies if microbes enter the wound, and an abscess forms in its place.

In addition, if ear pain occurs without hyperthermia and other common symptoms, a differential diagnosis of otitis media should be carried out with otomycosis (damage to the structures of the hearing organs by fungal microorganisms), eczema of the ear canal. Fungal ear infections can be distinguished from inflammatory processes by the presence of itching, which is characteristic of fungal infections. There is no increase in temperature in diffuse external otitis and atypical course of the inflammatory process.

In what cases should you consult a doctor immediately?

Temperature with otitis media causes a lot of discomfort for both the baby and his parents. In any case, this symptom requires contacting a doctor, but in some situations the child needs medical attention immediately. You need to call an ambulance when the temperature is high:

• observed in a child under six months of age;
• is not affected by conventional antipyretic drugs;
• accompanied by dyspeptic disorders (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea) or skin rash, severe headache, weakness.

The above signs may indicate not only otitis media, but also others dangerous diseases, so it is best to consult your doctor as soon as possible.

Treatment of otitis media with fever

It is recommended to lower the temperature only in cases where it exceeds 38-38.5, and in children suffering from convulsive syndrome, cardiovascular disorders or other concomitant diseases, the permissible figures are 37-37.5. If the fever is not too severe and the child feels well, the use of antipyretics is not recommended in order to give the body the opportunity to fight the infection on its own. In order to bring down the temperature, it is better to use drugs containing ibuprofen or paracetamol in the appropriate dosage - they will not only eliminate the fever, but also reduce pain in the ear.

The main component of the treatment of otitis accompanied by fever is antibacterial agents, which can be local (used at the site of inflammation) or systemic. In cases of mild disease - the disease is accompanied only by pain in the ears and low-grade fever - the fight against the pathological process is usually limited to the use of local drugs. If such treatments are ineffective, you should switch to systemic therapy.

For purulent otitis, the use of antibiotics (Amoxicillin, Flemoxin Solutab), which are prescribed by a doctor, is indicated. An increase in temperature during otitis plays another important role - it helps to evaluate the effectiveness of the chosen treatment regimen. With proper therapy, an improvement in condition and a decrease in temperature is observed within the first day. If the fever remains unchanged for several days, it is necessary to select other drugs. With proper treatment, catarrhal otitis takes an average of a week, purulent otitis – in two weeks.

General principles of treatment of otitis media in children

To get rid of the disease and its symptoms as soon as possible, you must adhere to general rules treatment of ear diseases.

1. Antibiotics for oral administration are prescribed exclusively by the attending physician. As a rule, therapy includes cephalosporins and penicillins, and in the presence of allergies, macrolides.
2. It is not advisable to use drops containing antibiotics in the first stages of the disease - drugs with an analgesic and decongestant effect are better suited. They are used in the acute phase of the disease in the presence of perforation, as well as in cases of chronic otitis.
3. In case of acute otitis media, it is recommended to instill vasoconstrictor drops for rhinitis into the child’s nasal passages, which will restore normal communication between the nasal passages and the middle ear.
4. If the child does not have a fever or purulent discharge from the ears, warming compresses can be applied. They are not placed on the auricle itself, but around it - a hole is made for the ear in a piece of bandage or gauze folded several times, after which the fabric is moistened in diluted alcohol or vodka, and a compress is applied to one side of the head. It is covered with polyethylene on top, insulated with cotton wool and secured with a scarf. The duration of the procedure is at least two hours.
5. You can warm sore ears using a medical reflector with a blue lamp or a bag of salt, but such activities can also be carried out only in the absence of fever and pus.
6. Use folk recipes It is strictly not recommended for the treatment of otitis in children, especially without consulting a doctor - self-medication can complicate the course of the disease and provoke serious complications.

You should not bathe a child with otitis media - it is better to rub it down warm water. Meals should include light but nutritious meals with sufficient vitamins. Walking is allowed only after the temperature has returned to normal, and ear pain and purulent discharge have disappeared, and the baby needs to wear a hat while he is outside.

Prevention of otitis

The development of otitis media in children can be prevented with simple preventive measures. First of all, it is necessary to avoid colds and increase immunity: take vitamin complexes, eat fresh vegetables and fruits, and harden the child. If the baby does get sick with a cold or acute respiratory viral infection, treatment should be carried out in a timely manner and under the supervision of a doctor. Under no circumstances should you clean out earwax with objects not intended for this purpose - pins, matches, bobby pins. Children under three years of age require constant adult supervision - children of this age often insert foreign objects into their ears, as a result of which purulent otitis media develops.

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Content

A popular method for diagnosing diseases and inflammatory processes is measuring body temperature using special devices - thermometers, also called thermometers. Depending on the deviation of the obtained indicator from the norm, the doctor makes a forecast about the state of the body systems and determines the intensity of the necessary drug therapy in the first days of treatment. Answers to questions about which thermometers are best to use and on which part of the body to measure temperature will help you understand how to measure it correctly and reduce the error as much as possible.

What is temperature measurement

Thermometry is a set of methods and methods that help to measure the temperature, in medicine, of the human body. The degree of heating of the object is compared with the absolute thermodynamic scale. Deviations from the average norm, up or down, show the doctor that processes are occurring in the body that disrupt its thermoregulation, for example, fighting a virus or inflammation. Regular measurements of this parameter allow you to monitor the patient’s condition, promptly increase the effectiveness of treatment, and avoid possible complications.

What does body temperature depend on?

In addition to infectious infections and other external factors (for example, hypothermia or overheating), many circumstances influence the body temperature. You will see different numbers on the thermometer, measuring the temperature on the surface of the skin (in the armpit or in the groin folds) or using one of the internal methods (orally or rectally). In addition to the location of the measurement, the indicator is affected by:

• time of manipulation (morning/evening);
• patient's age;
• period of the menstrual cycle in women.

Normal human body temperature

Physiological indicators of normal human body temperature can fluctuate between 36.3 – 37.3 °C. The norm of 36.6 °C, which we have become accustomed to since childhood, is set for measurement in the axillary region; due to individual characteristics, it can deviate within 36.4 - 37.0 °C. The average rectal temperature (in the rectum) is 37.3-37.7 ° C; temperature ranges for oral measurements considered healthy indicators are 36.8 – 37.2 °C.

Minimum human body temperature

The human body is better adapted to hypothermia than to increased temperature. Deviation from the norm towards the lower limit of up to 35 ° C is accompanied by severe weakness; after a decrease to 29 ° C, the person loses consciousness. The lowest recorded temperature at which the life of a hypothermic patient could be saved was 14.9 °C. Death, as a rule, occurs when the temperature reaches 25°C.

Critical temperature

If the temperature of a victim from overheating increases to an absolute scale level above 42 °C and it is impossible to reduce the indicator, the probability of death is high. There was a recorded case where a patient managed to survive overheating up to 46.5 °C. The lower limit in some cases can reach 25-26 °C. With hyperthermia - an increase in the indicator to 42 ° C and above - loss of consciousness, hallucinations, and delirium are observed. In this case, the patient’s life is in serious danger, so it is necessary to lower this biometric indicator in any available way.

How is temperature measured?

In the SI system ( international system units) there are two basic units for measuring temperature indicators - degrees Celsius and degrees Kelvin. In medicine, body temperature is measured on the Celsius scale, on which zero is the freezing temperature of water, and one hundred degrees is the boiling point of water.

Temperature measuring instruments

In thermometry, a special measuring device is used - a thermometer to measure body temperature. These devices are also called thermometers. They are made from different materials(glass, plastic), have their own specifics and operating principle (contact, non-contact; digital, mercury, infrared), measurement error. Each type of these devices has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Classification of devices

The main principle by which thermometers for measuring body temperature are classified is the principle of operation of these measuring instruments. According to it they are divided into:

• mercury;
• digital;
• infrared (for non-contact measurement method).

Mercury thermometers are made of glass and work on the principle of expansion of mercury contained in their glass reservoir. When heated from the body, the mercury column moves up the scale, reaching a mark corresponding to the t temperature of the body. This method of determining temperature characteristics helps to obtain high accuracy of measurement results; the error in actual temperature when using this type of thermometer is only 0.1 degrees.

Along with the advantages - affordability, wide scope of application, durability, obtaining precise measurements- liquid thermometers with mercury have significant disadvantages:

• fragility of the body;
• mercury toxicity (there is a danger of poisoning if you accidentally damage a mercury tank or break a thermometer);
• measurement duration (up to 10 minutes).

Digital, electronic thermometers are widely used. They may have different appearance, their body is made of plastic, and the temperature is determined through the operation of a thermodynamic sensor. Electronic thermometers are safer than mercury thermometers and help to obtain quick measurement results (within one minute), however, the accuracy of the readings of these devices is significantly inferior to mercury thermometers.

Infrared devices for measuring temperature indicators do not require direct contact with the body; measuring the temperature value takes several seconds. A special sensor displays a digital infrared image; the device requires configuration, produces an error of about 0.2 degrees, is expensive, and is often used in cases where the patient cannot be disturbed.

Especially for infants who cannot remain at rest long time, pacifier thermometers disguised as a regular pacifier were invented. They are made from silicone, the measurement duration is about five minutes, but this does not bring any inconvenience to the child. The deviation from the exact data can reach 0.3 degrees.

Where to take the temperature

Not all parts of the body have the same indicator; therefore, there are different ways to measure temperature. For getting precise definition body condition, this biometric indicator is determined by:

• axillary (the thermometer is installed and held with the working end in the armpit);
• orally (measurement is carried out by taking the level of thermal radiation in the mouth);
• rectally (in the rectum);
• in the inguinal folds;
• in a woman's vagina.

How to measure correctly

In different cavities and areas, the temperature indicator is measured by certain rules. It is important to check the technical condition of the device you are using - replace the battery in the digital thermometer, if necessary, adjust the infrared thermometer, and make sure the mercury thermometer is intact. If you have doubts about the reliability of the results obtained - for example, the child’s forehead is hot, but the device shows normal temperature, repeat the procedure or measure the indicator on another part of the body.

Mercury thermometer

Before using a mercury thermometer, shake it to bring down the mercury column to the minimum value on the scale, less than 35 °C. The device must be dry and clean; if you measure orally or rectally, a prerequisite for using the thermometer is its preliminary disinfection. For glass thermometers, to avoid damage, there are rules for careful storage in a case.

When performing the procedure in the armpit, the device is kept in a state of balance, pressed tightly to the body for the required time. For oral measurement, the device is placed under the tongue, it closes tightly, and breathing is done through the nose. During the rectal method of measurement, the patient is placed in a lying position on his side, the thermometer is inserted through the sphincter into the rectum and held for two to three minutes.

Time to measure body temperature with a mercury thermometer

When using contact thermometers, the type of which is mercury, the time during which the measurement is carried out is important. Depending on the measurement location, it is:

• 5-10 minutes - for the axillary method;
• 2-3 minutes - for rectal;
• 3-5 minutes - for oral.

Electric thermometer

Digital measuring instruments must be used when you want accurate and fast results. Function sound signal, which electric thermometers are equipped with, makes it easier to control the thermometry, since it notifies the user about the completion of the measurement process. They produce so-called instant thermometers, which, thanks to the high sensitivity of the thermoelement, give results in 2-3 seconds.

Remote temperature measurement

Measuring temperature readings from a distance is a convenient feature of infrared thermometers. These devices are the result of high-tech laboratory developments, which determines the quality of their work and the accuracy of the data obtained. They do not have a harmful effect on the body, and are suitable for both immobilized patients and infants who are in constant motion.

Measurement algorithm

Using the correct algorithm for measuring body temperature, you will reduce the influence of external factors, you will be able to timely monitor changes in temperature indicators, thereby speeding up the patient’s recovery process. With any method and use of any type of contact thermometer, follow the rules of hygiene and disinfection of the devices themselves. Algorithm for using a mercury thermometer:

1. Wash your hands thoroughly.
2. Remove the device from the case.
3. Shake it gently but forcefully, keeping your index finger on the reservoir.
4. Make sure the mercury drops below 35°C.
5. Take a measurement.
6. Disinfect the thermometer after completing the procedure.
7. Record your findings.

Measuring body temperature in the armpit

By following the following algorithm, you will understand how to measure the temperature in the armpit with any thermometer to get exact value and do not use another method:

• take measurements several times a day, at regular intervals;
• press the thermometer tightly to your body to avoid the thermometer being loose;
• keep your body still during the procedure;
• Record in writing the upper and lower indicators during the day.

Which armpit should you measure under?

The physical sensitivity of the right and left armpits is the same, so it does not matter which one you use to measure temperature readings. If you wish, you can take the value from both the right and left sides several times to make sure that you get the same data as a result. If you have doubts about the correctness of the result obtained, you can always measure the temperature in another sensitive area, in the groin area, for example.

In the mouth

The answer to the question of how to measure the temperature in the mouth correctly lies in the following two main points - the position of the thermometer and the time of measurement. Place the device under the tip of your tongue, press it firmly and close your mouth. To obtain data, hold this position for two to three minutes, breathe through your nose, evenly and calmly. Before carrying out the procedure, be sure to treat the thermometer with a disinfectant wipe.

Processing of thermometers

A clean, disinfected thermometer is an important condition for obtaining correct data when measuring indicators. The device should be cleaned after each procedure; at home, this can be done using wipes soaked in any disinfectant alcohol composition. After disinfection, the device is wiped dry and placed in a storage case.