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Subject: Re: Reasons for not pursuing an oral temperature

Author: George

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 08:55:41 08/05/09 Wed In reply to: Frank 's message, "Reasons for not pursuing an oral temperature" on 05:43:37 07/26/09 Sun It seems to me that there are some kids no matter what age that cannot contain a glass thermometer in a long enough time for it to register. In some cases, there may be a risk of injury. Needless to say, if no other alternative to a glass thermometer is refused, that the obvious choice would be a rectal temperature. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

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[> Subject: Re: Reasons for not pursuing an oral temperature

Author: Norman [Edit]

Date Posted: 08:13:35 08/10/09 Mon The glass thermometer has been used for ages. I read on a news flash not too long ago about a new fill media will be used to replace mercury in glass fever thermometers that is non-toxic to the environment and patient. It is different from the ones currently out there. The thermometer is supposed to be competitively priced with the cheap electronic thermometers and its appearance is similar to the traditional mercury fill thermometers, with a white line along one side, triangular in cross section, and tapered tip at the non-entry end. So as not to be confused with the mercury fill thermometer as these thermometers too have a silver colored fill media they are longer and have uniform thickness, I think they said 5.X long and a lot thicker than the common fever thermometer. Oral and rectal versions are available. According to the pictures that I saw in a link the oral has a long tip and the rectal has a stubby tip. There was a thought that local health departments and environmental agencies would offer to swap out each old thermometer with both an oral and rectal version of the thermometer. There will be separate Fahrenheit and Centigrade types for easier reading but no combinations. The main disadvantage is that one physical property of the new fill media is that it is inferior to mercury in that these new thermometers take I believe 4.5 minutes orally to register as opposed to no longer than 2 or 3 minutes for a mercury fill thermometer. In connection to this thread, I cannot imagine certain kids being able to sit down and holding a glass object in their mouths that long without taking it out, or worse having a mishap. The rectal temperature would eliminate that possibility as well as taking it orally with an electronic thermometer. In the case where an oral temperature is not an option with the new thermometer, the the alternative means of taking a temperature would be up to the parent or physician. I would think that the physician would take the easy way out and continue using the $1K electronic thermometer as opposed to the $3 glass thermometer in any situation except as a backup. It remains to be seen if there is a market for these new thermometers in the home taking into account that some older youngsters would be required, just as their 5 year old counterparts, to have their temperatures taken rectally. Parental (or other caretaker) preference would dictate the choice thermometer technology to use. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]