Body Temperature

How to measure body temperature

2. PURPOSE
•Detect fever.
•Detect abnormally low body temperature
(hypothermia) in people who have been
exposed to cold.
•Detect abnormally high body temperature (
hyperthermia) in people who have been
exposed to heat.
•Help monitor the effectiveness of a fever-
reducing medicine.
•Help plan for pregnancy by determining if a
woman is ovulating

4. Celcius = °C
TEMPERATURE SCALE
Is measured in

5. 36°C – 37.2 °C
NORMAL
TEMPERATURE
Is

16. THE MOST COMMON SITES OF
MEASURING BODY
TEMPERATURE

17. TYPES OF
THERMOMETE
R

18. MERCURY GLASS / PLASTIC
THERMOMETER

19. ELECTRONIC / DIGITAL
THERMOMETER

20. CHEMICAL DISPOSABLE
THERMOMETER /
TEMPERATURE SENSITIVE
TAPE

21. INFRARED
THERMOMETER
( THERMOSCAN )

22. TEMPORAL ARTERY
THERMOMETER

25. PRE PROCEDURE
•Greet and explain procedure to the patient

26. PRE PROCEDURE
•Provide privacy and perform hand hygiene

27. PRE PROCEDURE
•Apply ear probe cover to thermoscan probe

28. PRE PROCEDURE
•Ensure the reading in degree Celcius

29. PRE PROCEDURE
•Inform patient to pull pinna, pull pinna
backward and downward and insert
thermoscan probe into ear cannal

30. PRE PROCEDURE
•Press ‘START’ button until heard ‘beep’
sound

31. PRE PROCEDURE
•Remove probe from ear and inform patient
reading

32. PRE PROCEDURE
•Remove ear probe cover and discard
appropraitely

34. POST PROCEDURE
•Perform hand hygiene

35. POST PROCEDURE
•Inform SRN or doctor abnormal result

36. POST PROCEDURE
•Document reading

42. > 37.3 °C
ALSO CALLED
PYREXIA
Is a high temperature
above normal range :

43. 41°C
HYPERPYREXIA
Is a very high
temperature above :

45. < 36°C
HYPOTHERMIA
Is low temperature
below normal range :