Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-g7gxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T20:12:22.534Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Permeability of the Thermometer Sheath When Taking Oral Temperatures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Donald J. Soltero ,
Earl E. Sommers  and
Edmond L. Truelove
Donald J. Soltero*
Affiliation:
Department of Oral Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Earl E. Sommers
Affiliation:
Department of Oral Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Edmond L. Truelove
Affiliation:
Department of Oral Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
*
Department of Oral Medicine, SC-63, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Oral mercury-in-glass thermometers are contaminated with each use and must be decontaminated prior to reuse. It has been shown that the application of a thermometer sheath prevents contamination of the rectal thermometer. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate sheathed thermometers for contamination after oral use on dentulous patients. One hundred sterile sheathed thermometers were distributed into four groups and subjected to in vitro and in vivo conditions.

After clinical use 80% of the sheathed thermometers became contaminated, while not one of those exposed to microorganisms in vitro was contaminated. The cause for contamination was shown to be perforation of the sheath by the dentition. Thus the thermometer sheath is ineffective in preventing contamination of the mercury-in-glass thermometer when used for obtaining oral temperatures from dentulous patients. Sheathed mercury-in-glass thermometers should be decontaminated after each oral use.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 5 , Issue 9 , September 1984 , pp. 435 - 437
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1984

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Purintun, LR, Bishop, BE: How accurate are clinical thermometers? Am J Nurs 1969;1:99Google Scholar
2.Abbey, JC, Anderson, AS, Close, EL, et al: How long is that thermometer accurate? Am J Nurs 1978;8:1375.Google Scholar
3.Kirkpatrick, M, Stanley, SM: Evaluation of a new single-use thermometer. Occupational Health Nursing 1976; 24(12):9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Tate, GV, Gohrke, C, Mansfield, LW: Correct use of electric thermometers. Am J Nurs 1970;9:1898.Google Scholar
5.Guideline for Hospital Environmental Control. Atlanta, Centers for Disease Control, July 1982.Google Scholar
6.Litsky, BY: A study of temperature taking systems. Supervisor Nurse 1976;7:48.Google ScholarPubMed
7.Lloyd, RS, Kereluk, K, Filiprowski, WF, et al: Sterilization of clinical thermometers with ethylene oxide. Hospital Management 1970;109:16.Google ScholarPubMed
8.Landry, E: Thermometer conservation technique. Hospital Progress 1966;47:74.Google ScholarPubMed
9.Valenti, WM, Takacs, KM: Infection control and clinical thermometry: Perforation of soft plastic thermometer sheaths during temperature measurement. Am J Infect Control 1981;9:1.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Nichols, GA, Verhonicic, PJ: Time and temperature. Am J Nurs 1967;11:2304.Google Scholar
11.Nichols, GA, Kucha, DH: Taking adult temperatures: Oral measurements. Am J Nurs 1972;6:1090.Google Scholar
12.Nichols, GA, Verhonicic, PJ: Placement times for oral thermometers: A nursing study replication. Nurs Res 1968; 17(2):159.Google ScholarPubMed
13.Erickson, R: Thermometer placement for oral temperature measurement in febrile adults. Int J Nurs Stud 1976; 13(4):199.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.Nichols, GA, Fielding, JJ, McKevitt, RR, et al: Taking oral temperatures of febrile patients. Nurs Res 1969; 18(5):448.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Erickson, R: Oral temperature differences in relation to thermometer and technique. Nurs Res 1980; 29(3):157.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Beck, WC, Campbell, R: Clinic thermometry. The Guthrie Bulletin 1975;44:175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17.Nie, NH, Hull, CH, Jenkins, JG, et al: SPSS. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. New York, McGraw Hill, 1975.Google Scholar
18.Siegel, S: Nonparametric Statistics. New York, McGraw Hill, 1956.Google Scholar