Glass rectal thermometer - fantasy -- Rectal Temperature Stories

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Date Posted: 08:16:02 08/03/09 Mon
Author: Norman
Subject: Glass rectal thermometer - fantasy
In reply to: Norman 's message, "Glass rectal thermometer - fantasy" on 06:43:37 07/28/09 Tue

In this alternate universe, electronic thermometers never gained acceptance by influential leaders in the medical community and regulatory authorities that preferred the continuation of using glass fever thermometers. One change did occur with glass thermometers is that mercury fill media was replaced with an environmentally safe fill media which also reduced the cost of manufacturing glass thermometers significantly.

However, the only disadvantage to the environmentally safe glass thermometer is an increased time for the thermometer to register relative to the old mercury filled thermometer. Whereas, mercury fill thermometers take two to three minutes to register, the environmentally safe thermometers take well over four mintues. This property increases the chances of some older youngsters not being able to contain a thermometer in their mouths for that length of time or even present a safety hazard for others (in addition younger ones that have always required a rectal temperature solely because of age). Several characteristics of older youngsters have been identified as risk factors that would render them unsuitable for having their temperature taken orally for the increased length of time required for the thermometers to register. Such risk factors include maturity, intellectual capacity, and emotional deficiencies. For those patients with no apparent risk factors, a clear plastic device that looks exactly like an environmentally safe oral glass thermometer is used to test a youngster's endurance capability of holding a thermometer for that length of time in his mouth and it has a sensor that detects if he attempts to bite down on it. Any resistance to hold it in his mouth or failure to hold it in his mouth safely would render him to have his temperature taken rectally for each and every visit to the doctors office for an indefinite period of time.

Because the extensive human resources required to serve the large caseload of older youngsters requiring rectal temperatures and that typical medical associates are uncomfortable with the task, an associate whose sole job it is to take temperatures, both oral and rectal, was created. It is informally acknowledged that these associates have unique fondness for taking youngsters temperatures rectally such that there is a biasness toward taking temperatures that way. This characteristic of such an associate is considered a virtue because of his dedication to his job, the reduction of the risk of a mishap when taking a youngster's temperature orally, and that a rectal temperature is considered much more reliable than an oral temperature. We shall see in more detail the desire of the Temperature Associate (TA) to take temperatures rectally is reflected on selection of patients that are required to have their temperatures taken rectally and how he proceed to take take their temperatures that way.

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[> Re: Glass rectal thermometer - fantasy -- PLAY DOCTOR, 06:57:40 09/09/11 Fri [1]

As to the thermometer . . . I believe that problem has been RECTified with the Geratherm product

http://www.pocketnurse.com/Geratherm-Rectal-Thermometer/productinfo/06-74-4827/

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