Is your first temp on a new admit..

Published

always a rectal? We are getting away from this because it doesn't really mean that the orifice is patent...it could be farther up that is closed. What do you do?

Specializes in NICU.

We do a rectal for the first temp. Recently had a baby with what was termed a blind pouch, although it did start to have a smear of stool. The baby had multiple anomalies.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU,PICU.

Prmns....LOL I love when people use their critical thinking skills LOL

We had a transport one time that they said passed stool, but it didn't have an opening...turned out to have a fistula into the lady parts. It makes me really uneasy to see somone put a thermometer in a 23 weeker's behind, that is for sure.

We are changing our paperwork to say anal opening visualized.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

OB/well-baby nursery nurse lurking here...we always do a rectal along with an axillary on admission, also if we get a high or low axillary temp we do a rectal.

I myself have always wondered how you can say an orifice is patent if the baby hasn't pooped. When we do our rectals we use lots of KY and only go about 1/4 inch inside. I've also discovered that holding those kids real still goes a long way. I doubt I'd be so rectal-temp-happy if my babies were 25-weekers, though.

My hat is off to all NICU (where I am it is ICN) nurses. You guys are awesome.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.

All axillary temps in my unit, no rectal.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in midwifery, NICU.

in all my years with both well and sick/preemie babies, have never done a rectal temp, always axilla then with the preemies, they are connected to the servo incubator temp control, (external probe). wonder, if successful rectal temp was an indicator for patent orifice, how far would you need to insert the thermometer?? surely things could be malformed just that wee bit further up. I would think that the passage of mec is the surefire way to tell if the orifice is patent, and not putting foriegn bodies where the sun don't shine!:icon_frown:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, Telephone Triage.
always a rectal? We are getting away from this because it doesn't really mean that the orifice is patent...it could be farther up that is closed. What do you do?

Both NICUS I've worked in never do rectal temps...it's too risky. Always axillary.

Kim

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion