temporal artery thermometers

Dalzac, LPN, LVN, RN · Oct 29, 2006

I hate them they are never accurate and yes I went to the inservice for them

adrienurse, LPN · Oct 29, 2006

Yeah they just showed up one day and they got rid of all the tympanics. Lovely, I thought. Are these even proven to be accurate?

Justhere, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2006

Don't trust them and don't trust the tympanics. Had a patient that the tymanics kept reading 97.5 but his skin was very hot to the touch. Readjusted took the temp again and it was 97.5. Went and got an oral thermometer and lo and behold it was 104.

Same thing with my son went to ER rectal temp 103.7. Got Rocephin shot and dose of Motrin. Rechecked with tympanic 98.3. Got home 45 minutes later temp 103.6 rectal.

My docs office had the temporal saw it used at a couple of visits, haven't seen it since. Guess they realized it was a piece of crap also.

slou! · Oct 29, 2006

These are the ones that just swipe across the forehead, correct? Sorry, I am just a pre-nursing student!

Anyway, that is funny that people are saying they aren't accurate. I work at a baby retail store, and they trained all of us saying that these are the most accurate and best out there! Oh everytime I get a customer inquiring about these I have to go on a big schpiel (sp?) about how they are the most accurate thermometer out there. Now I feel bad for telling people that! My supervisor said that it is better than a rectal thermometer (from a Harvard Medical School study) and when we got it in, we were all trained to tell people that. It's a shame because people aren't getting the right information. I looked up reviews of this product and people seem to like it because it's easier not to wake a sleeping child, but people DON'T like it because pediatrcians and NICU nurses don't recommend it because it is not accurate. Hm, I think if I were a new parent, yes it is convenient but I would rather listen to trained medical staff who say it is not accurate than it's convenience! What would you all say is the most accurate? I am an honest sales person, I don't care if the temporal is $49.99 and the rectal is $9.99 and we are making less money off of the rectal therm. sales, I would want someone to tell me when I am paying for an overpriced piece of crap, so I do the same! So for babies, would you say a rectal or oral thermometer is best? I will be sure to tell people so whenever they are trying to pick out what is best for their baby. Honestly though, I get questions all the time that should be asked by a pediatrician. I mean in this case it is product knowledge so it makes sense, but people always come up to me asking me about different types of medicines for their baby and all..

bandas · Oct 29, 2006

Speaking from personal experience, I hate them. I have one that I bought when my second child was born, because I read in a baby magazine about how great they are and how accurate they are. I've gone back to my old thermometer. The temporal thermometer always seems to register low. My daughter actually feeling sick now and I just went and took her temp with both to retest them out and the temp thermometer said 98.4 and the digital (axillary) was 100.6. I know rectal would be more accurate but I didn't feel like making her cry for testing purposes. :bluecry1:

chatter · Oct 29, 2006

i have a personal one that i use for work I work in LTC and its hard for many of my patients to hold thermometers under the tongue. i think it is accurate. i compared the facility oral thermometer several times with the temporal and the temporal each time read 0.5 - 1 degree higher each time than the oral thermometer.

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Oct 29, 2006

I have also had some huge discrepancies between temporal and rectal temps, as much as 4-5 degrees on several occasions. I wrote to the company asking how to get better accuracy, made sure we were using them right, and they still were no better. Now if I really want a good temp I won't even consider them. I get better accuracy by putting my hand on someone's forehead.

ginger58, ASN, RN · Oct 29, 2006

When we first got them I thought they were very accurate. All the iiterature I read on various studies found them more accurate than a rectal temp. I find they are very user sensitive. Contact with the skin is sometimes hard to keep, and redoing can get a completely different answer. So, the answer is no, I don't trust them.

jenna_rn · Oct 29, 2006

we use them, they have taken away all the other thermometers and state these are the most accurate when used properly. we, as usual , didn't have a chouce in the matter. the patients seem to like them. i just say " when we get the holographic doctor, i will be impressed!"

jmgrn65, RN · Oct 29, 2006

user sensitive is the problem! Tympanic are accurate IF it is used properly, and it sounds like that is the same with the temporal. I think there should always be an oral so if needed can recheck.

crb613, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2006

Oh we use them too & were also told how accurate they are:uhoh3: They seem to always give a higher reading than the oral ones. I personally don't like them...If I have someone running a temp I will be going by the oral ones not this crappy thing!