manual temps vs. temp probe

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I want to start a new practice in our unit with infants in cribs/bassinets. The temp probe for the monitors end up on the floor, the babies pull them off and sometimes they just don't work. Do your units use probes or just do

manual temps. I am trying introduce just manual temps for older kids in cribs/bassinets.

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Specializes in NICU, CVICU.

We do manual temps for ALL babies at least Q3, no matter if they are on a radiant warmer, in an isolette on ISC, in an isolette on NTE, or in an open crib.

This manual temp is in addition to any temp readings from a temp probe connected to the heat source.

So many times the temp probe isn't seated properly and the kid can be either a baby popsicle or burning up...so we always double check with a manual temp.

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Specializes in NICU.
I want to start a new practice in our unit with infants in cribs/bassinets. The temp probe for the monitors end up on the floor, the babies pull them off and sometimes they just don't work. Do your units use probes or just do

manual temps. I am trying introduce just manual temps for older kids in cribs/bassinets.

Our monitors don't have temp probes, only our isolettes and warmers. So every baby in an open crib or bassinette gets axillary temps. Besides, at this point in time they're big enough and stable enough to tolerate the extra stimulation of "real" temps. I didn't even know they made monitors with temp probes, and our monitors are pretty new.

If a baby is on a warmer or in an isolette, we do have a temp probe on them. If it's a hands-on vitals round, we'll do an axillary temp as well to compare with the temp probe. If it's a monitor vitals round, we'll just use the probe reading. We do our handling Q4-6 hours depending on the baby.

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Specializes in NICU.

Our monitors don't have temp probes either, only the warmers/isolettes do. I've never seen a baby in a crib/bassinet with a temp probe. We do manual temps on all babies with each round, even when they're on servo control under a warmer or in an isolette .... those temp readings aren't the most accurate. We chart all the temps ... the actual ax temp, the temp the servo is reading, the set temp, and the environmental/air temp.

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Specializes in NICU.

We take axillary temps on babies in open cribs. I usually will take a manual temp on a baby who is in an isolette or on a warmer bed too, because most of the time, the baby is cool or has overheated. At the last hospital I worked at, we had SpaceLab Monitors and there was a temperature probe that did show up on the screen. That probe was placed in the axillary region, and a second probe was placed over the liver and recorded as the skin temp. We would use the axillary temp on the monitor as a reference for setting the bed/skin temp, and very seldom, did a baby ever overheat or get cold. It worked out really well.

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All our babies get manual temps q 3 hrs in addition to any servo temps from the isolette.

~J

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we do manual temps for all babies at least q3, no matter if they are on a radiant warmer, in an isolette on isc, in an isolette on nte, or in an open crib.

this manual temp is in addition to any temp readings from a temp probe connected to the heat source.

so many times the temp probe isn't seated properly and the kid can be either a baby popsicle or burning up...so we always double check with a manual temp.

ditto for us.

i find the temp probe inacuracies can be greatly reduced with plain ol' good nursing care - making sure the sticky cover is sticking well. i'm surprised how many times i come on shift to find the sticky covers dried out and nearly all the way off - kid sweating and 99+ ax... :uhoh3:

hello... we're supposed to warm 'em, not roast 'em. :lol2:

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