6
Familiarize Yourself with the Instrument
Practice Holding Your Temporal
Scanner
The Temporal
Scanner
is ergonomically designed specifically for
its application. It’s best to hold the instrument with your thumb
on the red button, much like you would hold a remote control.
Along with allowing you to easily read the temperature display, you
will automatically be using finger dexterity to gently position the
probe, providing comfort and safety for your patient and consis-
tently accurate temperature readings.
Things To Know Before Taking Temperatures
•
Measure only the exposed side. Anything covering the area
to be measured would insulate it and prevent the heat from
dissipating, resulting in
falsely high readings
. Brush hair aside
if covering the TA, or the area behind the ear.
•
Slide the thermometer straight across the forehead (midline),
and not down the side of the face. Midline over the TA area,
the TA is less than 2mm below skin surface, whereas as the
TA winds down the side of the face it is further from the skin
surface. Although anatomically correct, sliding downwards
could result in
falsely low readings
.
•
It is preferable to hold the instrument sideways, as illustrated
in Figure 2. Approaching your patient with the instrument
straight up and down could be somewhat intimidating.
•
When making the measurement behind the ear as in Figure
3, tuck the thermometer under the ear lobe in the soft coni-
cal depression on the neck just below the mastoid. This is
the place where a dab of perfume is typically applied.
Using on an Infant
•
An infant is apt to be presented bundled, with blankets and
clothing covering the neck area. Fortunately, the perfusion
rate is normally strong for infants, and unless visibly dia-
phoretic, one measurement at the TA is typically all that is
required.
Should you feel that the temperature is too low, push aside
any clothing or blankets covering the neck area for ~30
seconds or so and repeat the measurement behind the ear.
