Forehead thermometer accuracy

MiaLyse, APRN · Apr 21, 2004

Okay, I just called my pharmacist. He says definitely the ear is more accurate than the forehead thermometer which makes sense and also more accurate than a temp taken under the arm.

Kelly

gypsyatheart · Apr 21, 2004

I don't think either one is accurate. Technically speaking. We don't use either one at the 2 hospitals I work at. And, certainly not more accurate than an axillary temp! The most accurate temp is, of course, a rectal, you get core bodytemp. Usually that is not necessary. The pharmacist either doesn't know or just wants to sell a high priced ear thermometer to unsuspecting parents, when they could spend $5 and get a fine digital thermometer.

camay1221_RN · Apr 21, 2004

I don't have any faith in the ear thermometers. Then again, maybe I just don't have any faith in the person using the ear thermometer! Either way, I don't think they are accurate. I work phone triage and I had a mom call one night saying she took her childs temp in the ear and got a reading of 93.5. Ummm, I don't think so. Especially when I could hear the child laughing it up and having a good time in the background.

The doctors I work for prefer rectal or oral.

There are many digitals that come two in a pack, so then you can just label one for each place.

I don't think either one is accurate. Technically speaking. We don't use either one at the 2 hospitals I work at. And, certainly not more accurate than an axillary temp! The most accurate temp is, of course, a rectal, you get core bodytemp. Usually that is not necessary. The pharmacist either doesn't know or just wants to sell a high priced ear thermometer to unsuspecting parents, when they could spend $5 and get a fine digital thermometer.

flowerchild · Apr 21, 2004

The ear thermometers are only accurate IF you hit the tympanic membrane correctly. If the person has otitis media, forget it, you get the temp of the hot spot, not the core temp of a person.

The forehead thermometers are fairly accurate IF it is used correctly but will not give you an exact temp measurement. If a person has just been working out and is hot and sweaty, it is not accurate.

The most accurate temps are rectal or oral, for an oral temp IF done correctly, placed under the tongue and HELD in the proper place by the person taking the temp. Rectal temps are the most accurate of all but not done b/c of the route in most cases.

CIRQL8 · Apr 21, 2004

What's the difference b/w an oral and a rectal thermometer??

Get ready...............

the taste!!!

{{{groan}}}

sharann, BSN, RN · Apr 21, 2004

Temp taking accurately is at times a challenge. Many pts who are very dry and NPO will not register an oral temp or it will error. When pts are combative you don't want to shove a probe in their mouth (or other orifices), b/c they can damage teeth. The skin temps are tricky but I have found them to be quite consistent to the orals and far mor accurate than axillary. Tympanics are not a choice in our PACU but I have one at home and they are a crapshoot (but my 14 yr old is real good with it). Rectal is contraindicated in many instances for adults (bowel surgery, prostate surg...). What I would LOVE is to get my hand on a forehead scanning thermometer, that supposedly reads the arteries in the forehead(temporal artery). This is more than you wanted to know, hehe.