Thermometer

The temperature of the human body is understood as the thermal indicator of the body, which reflects the ratio between the heat produced by tissues and organs and its loss during heat exchange occurring relative to the external environment.

Normal body temperature readings are between 36,0°C and 37,0°C. If, with excellent health on an ongoing basis, a person does not observe a temperature of 36,6 ° C, this does not indicate the onset of some kind of illness. This state of affairs testifies to the individual temperature regime of a particular person and is not fraught with danger. But deviations from the norm by 1-1,5 degrees indicate the onset of some kind of illness. That is why it is very important to timely and accurately measure body temperature with a special thermometer or thermometer.

In medicine, a thermometer is a special device that allows you to measure body temperature at a particular moment. An ordinary mercury thermometer was invented by G. Fahrenheit back in 1723 in parallel with the Fahrenheit scale, which is still used to determine temperature indicators. However, in many countries the Celsius scale is used because it is more adapted to generally accepted standards for ambient temperature. Modern thermometers can be both mercury and digital.

mercury thermometer

A mercury thermometer is a well-known glass tube, which is sealed at both ends, inside which is placed another glass tube filled with mercury. The metal end of the thermometer must be applied to the body. The scale located in the thermometer, when heated, mercury will reflect the level of human body temperature in degrees Celsius. The scale has marks from 34°C to 42°C with a step interval of 0,1 degrees. When heated, mercury increases in volume and rises on the scale until the thermometer heats up. After the temperature stops rising, the mercury column is fixed at a certain level, which corresponds to a certain indicator from the scale. To use the thermometer again, it is necessary to shake the thermometer a couple of times, since mercury itself cannot get to its original position due to its physical and chemical characteristics.

The disadvantage of mercury thermometers is their glass base, which is very fragile. Everything is complicated by the fact that mercury is very toxic in its open form, it can release harmful vapors into the environment for many years, which will poison the air and cause various pathological conditions in people. That is why it is impossible to throw away a broken thermometer just like that, it must be disposed of in a certain way. Such complexity has recently led people to prefer other types of thermometers to mercury, for example, electronic ones.

Electronic (digital) thermometer

Digital or electronic thermometers are small devices with small screens that display body temperature during measurement. There are many varieties of electronic thermometers, which allows each consumer to choose for himself just such a thermometer that will be ideal for frequent use.

The benefits of digital thermometers include:

• some models can measure body temperature in express modes for 2-10 seconds of contact with the human body;
• some models with infrared non-contact sensors are able to measure temperature without direct direct contact, that is, applying to the human body;
• the variety of forms of manufacturing electronic thermometers allows you to measure body temperature in various places – on the forehead, in the ears, armpits, in the mouth, in the vagina, in the rectum;
• the presence of memory for several measurements inside the thermometer helps to track temperature fluctuations.

What determines and where body temperature is measured

The temperature of the human body can vary depending on various factors. Different places in the body can have different temperatures at the same time. So, on the surface of the body – on the forehead, armpits – the temperature is always lower than in the internal cavities – in the mouth, anus, vagina. Temperatures also vary by time of day. The lowest usually in a person during a night’s rest from 3 to 6 in the morning, during this period, its indicator can be 0,5-0,6 degrees lower than usual. The highest temperature in an active person is observed between 17 and 21 hours.

Naturally, during active physical exertion, the body temperature always rises slightly, as well as when being in a too hot natural environment, for example, in the summer in the sun. Also, the temperature is higher in women during monthly ovulation, in adulthood, the normal body temperature usually becomes lower for each person than it was in childhood.

Rectal measurement is the most accurate. In second place in terms of accuracy is the intravaginal method. Using thermometers of various designs, it is possible with a high degree of probability to determine the normal body temperature in various organs. An oral measurement with a special thermometer can show deviations in measurements by as much as 0,8 degrees. At the same time, different data can be obtained with the sublingual measurement method (under the tongue) and with the buccal method (behind the cheeks). Sublingual technique is more accurate.

The axillary method of measuring body temperature (under the armpit) is the most common clinical method of using a thermometer. Much less often, the thermometer is used not in the armpit, but in the groin. It is important to remember that the deviation in rectal and axillary measurements can be up to 1,5°C in adult patients. In children, as a rule, thermometers show a similar temperature in any method of measurement.

Temperature measurement and safety regulations regarding thermometers

To take measurements with a mercury thermometer, it must first be shaken several times to the scale marks of about 35 ° C. On electronic thermometers, there is a special button for resetting previous measurements to zero. Before taking measurements, the armpit is examined for the presence of chafing, irritation, pain. If available, the thermometer is placed in another area.

The narrow end of the thermometer is located in the armpit and is pressed against the body by hand so that the metal tip is completely surrounded by tissues. When measuring in mucous membranes, thermometers need to be disinfected each time before use. Measurements are taken for 10 minutes in the armpit, 1 minute in the mouth and for 5 minutes in the anus or vagina with a mercury thermometer. The entire period of measurements, the person must remain motionless, observe a state of rest. Regarding digital thermometers, everything is simpler, since the measurement time for them usually ranges from 2 to 60 seconds, and the thermometer gives a signal about the end of the measurements on its own.

After measuring body temperature, any thermometer must be disinfected with a solution of chloramine and stored in a place inaccessible to damage. Usually, patients need thermometry twice a day – on an empty stomach in the morning and before meals in the evening from 17 to 19 hours. However, in feverish conditions, thermometers are used every two hours.

Mercury thermometers need careful care and handling. They must be stored in places where small children cannot reach. When measuring temperature with their help, children must be monitored so that they do not break the tip of the thermometer during movement. Only an adult should prepare the thermometer for measurement (knock down earlier results). The safety of mercury thermometers is ensured by special tubes, but if such a thermometer is broken, it is necessary to collect mercury and wash the floor with plain soap or urgently call the sanitary and epidemiological service.

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