Body Temperature: Safe, Successful Nursing Care

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The monitoring of body temperature is an essential part of safe, successful nursing care. One of the four major vital signs, it is fundamental in creating a picture of the overall health of the patient (NICE, 2007). Body temperature measurements should be taken as part of the initial assessment and at regular intervals throughout the care and treatment of acute illnesses in adults. The definition of normal body temperature is 37°C, and was first defined as such in the mid 19th century (Sund-Levander and Grodzinsky, 2013). The ear site is the recommended and most common site for core temperature measurement as it is closest to the hypothalamus, meaning the reading is likely to be accurate due to the proximity. Peripheral sites are not recommended …show more content…

There are many different instruments available to measure temperature and just as many arguments as to which are the most appropriate and accurate. There is also contrasting opinion on which site is best used to gain an accurate reading.
Retrieving a correct temperature reading should always be the aim of whoever is taking the measurements; however, accurate measurements are particularly important in certain cases. The standard way in which temperature is used is as a basis of comparison for future readings to be compared against, this means that healthcare providers can monitor patient’s temperature and how treatment, activity or other factors may affect them. It is essential that before, during and after blood transfusions temperature is monitored as change in temperature is one of the first signs of a reaction. Patients undergoing operative procedures must have their temperature carefully monitored as the body is less able to physically alter its temperature, due to being …show more content…

Tympanic thermometers tend to be used because they are designed to be non-invasive, simple to use and hygienic. They are also relatively comfortable for most patients. Tympanic thermometers are used by attaching a plastic hygiene cap to the device and inserting an infrared sensor into the ear. This sensor can, within two seconds, give a reading of the patient’s core temperature. It is important when taking temperature readings that the same method is used in the precise way intended, in order to avoid human error in measurements. Tympanic thermometers can, even when temperature is changing rapidly, reveal the temperature of the pulmonary artery; which is one of the main reasons why it is viewed as a reliable temperature. Some studies, when comparing tympanic temperature readings to oral and rectal, have reported inaccuracies, mainly in children under three years of age. However, most evidence suggests that the reading given is generally accepted as accurate (L-Radhi,

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