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purpledoggy wrote:
He calls me Norma Bates because I’m always taking Alyssa’s temp with the tympanic thermometer (it goes in your ear). She always feels warm to me but never has a fever. One time I took it and got a 99.1 reading so I went right for the rectal which was fine. Tympanic’s can be pretty inaccurate. Every time he pesters me about taking temps I make it a point to take his too since he has pneumonia right now. That makes him twice as mad 😆
It is good that you took a rectal temp…let me explain why tympanics don’t work…just FYI..ohh and tell your hubby, ONLY rectal temps are accurate…sooooo you know what that means 🙂 That will scare him!!!
I hate to tell you this, but that nice expensive ear thermometer is a piece of trash.
In order to see an infants ear drum, I have to pull up and back on the ear, and then, if the speculum is too large, forget it. It takes skill to look at an infant’s ear drum.
The tympanic thermometer takes readings based on the ability of the machine to “look” at the TM and take a reading from the blood vessels that run through it.
Problem is, if I can’t see the TM without playing with the ear, how does the thermometer “see” it? It doesn’t!
The other issue is that infants have a higher metabolism than we do so they feel warmer, like a cat or dog feels warmer, because their body temperature is higher.
A “fever” in an infant is 100.5 rectal no adding, subtracting, multipying or dividing. 100.5 on a mercury thermometer is BEST or the “gold standard” and now that they don’t sell those any more…I guess a digital would be okay.
If you want to know an infants true core body temperature, take a rectal. Otherwise you are wasting time.
Why is this important? Because a fever over 100.5 rectal in an infant can indicate meningitis or sepsis. Infants with 100.5 or higher, without an obvious bladder or ear infection require lab work and a spinal tap.
I know this is a lot in one post, but if you have questions about fever, temperatures, etc, either call yor pediatrician, or you can pm me…I can give you any factual information you might need…
I woke up with a fever this morning and used the tympanic for giggles. It told me my temp was 98.1 when it really was 101.7. How is that for a temp difference? I didn’t pay for it, it was a gift. I know from working in the hospital that they are only good for a paper weight.
Is RSV really a big deal? Is it something I will have to worry about when Tristen is born? He’s going to be born in June/July… 😯
Keeper of the Fledgings
azurielle wrote:Is RSV really a big deal? Is it something I will have to worry about when Tristen is born? He’s going to be born in June/July… 😯
It usually goes around in the winter months. If your child is 6 or 7 months old by next January, then he less likely to have a serious problem. It really is the worst on small infants under 6 month. Though older babies may be affected…
Pertussis (whooping cough) is also a concern in infants under 3 or 4 months because they aren’t fully vaccinated. Adults can pass pertussis to young infants. In adults the immunity can wear off as they get older.
Things like daycare, exposure to other sick kids, exposure to cigarette smoke make them a little more susceptible….
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