Taking Temperature By Mouth

Taking Temperature By Mouth

General Instructions

1)       Oral temperature should not be taken immediately after the patient has had a hot or a cold drink or food.

2)       Oral temperature should not be taken for the following patients.

1.        Children below the age of five years

2.        Patients receiving oxygen

3.        Patients with nasal obstruction, dyspnoea or sore throat

4.        Patient who are delirious, unconscious and not cooperating, hysterical

5.        Restless or mentally ill

6.        Patients with oral surgeries.

Recording temperature – oral Equipment

Tray Containing

1)       3 or 4 test tubes or bottles with antiseptic lotions (Savlon 2%) and a little cotton underneath

2)       A glass tumbler with clean water and little cotton underneath

3)       A bowl containing a bit soapy white wipers

4)       A small piece of clean cloth

5)       A Kidney tray

6)       A Paper bag

7)       Watch with second hand

8)       Red lead pen

Procedure

1)       Explain the procedure and take the patients cooperation

2)       Let the patient be sitting or lying down

3)       Removethermometerfromthelotion, wash with clean water and dry with clean piece of cloth form the bulb upwards to prevent bacteria from setting down on the lower part which goes into the mouth of the patient.

4)       Shake down the mercury by 95ºF. Place the bulb of the thermometer under the tongue and tell the patient not to bite the thermometer but to hold it with his lips.

5)       Leave the thermometer in the mouth for 2 minutes (during this time take his pulse and respiration)

6)       Remove the thermometer, note the temperature clean with the soapy wiper from above downwards towards the bulb(to prevent bacteria from spreading all over the thermometer)

7)       Collect the dirty soapy water in the kidney tray and place the dirty wiper in the paper bag.

8)       Replace thermometer in the test tube of bottle with the lotion

9)       Record the temperature in the chart

After care of the equipment

1)       Clean all the articles used

2)       Wash the thermometer with soap and cold water

3)       Keepthethermometerintheantiseptic lotion for 2 to minutes

4)       Reset the tray and keep it ready for the next use.

Conversion of Scales

To convert centigrade to Fahrenheit, multiply by 9, divide by 5 and add 32.

To convert Fahrenheit to centigrade, deduct 32, multiply by 5 and divide by 9

C = (F−32) x 5/9

F = 9/5×C+32

Abnormal temperature

1)       Subnormal-35^oto36.1^oC(95^oto97^oF)

2)       Collapse – below 35^oC (95^oF)

3)       Fever or pyrexia

Low pyrexia – 37.2^oto 38.3^oC (99^oto 101^oF)

Moderate Pyrexia – 38.3^oto 39.4^oC (101^oto 103^oF)

High Pyrexia – 39.5^o to 40.5^oC (103^oto 105^oF)

Hyper Pyrexia – 40.5^oC (105^oF) and above