Mom hand

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Specializes in School health, pediatrics.

I was having a long talk with a student today about hands being unreliable thermometers, and decided to demonstrate to her the difference in them btwn hand and forehead.

Infrared on MY hand: 97.0

Infrared on MY forehead: 100.9! What the heck?!

I have been repeating my temp anytime I'm alone and I'm steady around 100, but still, um...I better not be getting sick again, I just got the all clear from my pneumonia on Monday!

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Oh no! I hope it's nothing!

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Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.

Just remember temp changes during the day, so maybe it's a fluke?

I know how you feel, I was at a family party and this lady that was family of my cousin's wife, was coughing all over the place and at the end of the night she mentions, "Oh I had had pneumonia lately, but I been at the doctor and took antibiotics for the last few days, but I'm still not feeling well."

And I was in range of her coughing fits.

:eek:

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.

Your mom hand is broken....

But seriously, hope you are OK!

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.

100 degrees minus IR variable of 2 degrees = 98, 101.9 -2 = 98.9. There you go (in my best Greek accent from My Big Fat Greek Wedding).

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My son was sick last week and asked me to "feel him". He felt cool and I told him, he asked me to give him a number. I told him 97. I then took his temp. 97.9 BOO-YAH!!! he was impressed (so was ).

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Specializes in NCSN.

Oh no surprise fever!

My hands are always freezing, so everything feels warm to me lol

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
My son was sick last week and asked me to "feel him". He felt cool and I told him, he asked me to give him a number. I told him 97. I then took his temp. 97.9 BOO-YAH!!! he was impressed (so was ).

Your mom hand is fully functional.

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Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.

I think my mom hand is broken. I feel them warm and then they have a fever.

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Specializes in School Nurse, past Med Surge.

IMO mom lips are more accurate, but I'm not about to go kissing the heads of all the kiddos around here.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I have one teacher who I think has cold hands because she has sent at least a dozen children down this year with "forehead is hot" passes and none of them have had even a mildly elevated temp. I admit that sometimes as I am checking with my thermometer even my hands will feel a "heat wave" from a child's face that turns out not to be febrile!

There is one other teacher who used to send many students but has scaled back; she just recently sent me two consecutive students with "feels warm"? passes that had legitimate fevers and I was so impressed!

I'm sorry for your incidental fever-- I always run high so sometimes when I "check" my thermometer I am surprised by what I find, too. Hope you are feeling well!

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My "mom" hands never work...I think I am the only one who can't tell if a kid has a fever by touching them. Kids always feel warm to my hands no matter what their temp is.

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