How to take infant/child axillary temp?

dudette10, MSN, RN · Aug 26, 2010

How do I take an infant or young child's axillary temperature from a side lying position?
In my fundamentals book, it says "Nurse Alert In an infant or young child it may be necessary to hold arm against the child's side when using the axillary method. If infant is in side-lying position, the lower axilla will record the higher temperature. Does this mean that is is better to use the axilla being laid on, or the one on top since the temperature of the axilla being laid on is lower, and the one on top is higher?

I can't answer your real question about which axilla to take the temp on when the child is side-lying, but I think you misinterpreted what the book is saying. The temp of the axilla being laid on is higher, and the temp of the axilla on top is lower.

I think you've had your head in lots o' books; I get things switched around, too, when I've been reading too long.

When we did peds, we obtained the temp at the most accessible axilla or tried to obtain it at the same axilla as previous temps, without regard to current position.

swansonplace · Aug 26, 2010

In my fundamentals book, it says quote unquote: "In an infant or young child it may be necessary to hold arm against the child's side when using the axillary method. If infant is in side-lying position, the lower axilla will record the higher temperature. "

Is there any significance to the lower axilla recording the higher temperature?

Does the difference in temperature on the side, imply that one arm pit is better to take the temperature than another?