Health Thermometers

 

Reviews
Braun Ear Thermometer - ThermoScan IRT 3020
Fairhaven Digital Basal Thermometer
Vicks Rectal Baby Thermometer

Articles
Choosing the Best Baby Thermometer
Internet Guide to Finding the Best Home Medical Thermometer

Archive

Forehead Thermometers on Trial
Do forehead thermometers (described as temporal thermometers) work well? Not according to a new study:

[Craig] Crandall's team found that forehead readings were unreliable indicators of core body temperature. Though the two devices reported the same temperature at the start of the experiment, as the subjects' core body temperature...rose, the temporal thermometer readings actually fell. At 50 minutes, for instance, the internally measured temperature had risen about 0.7 degrees C, on average, while the temporal thermometer reported a decrease of about 0.3 degrees C.

...The temporal thermometer "is no better" than the tried-and-true parental method of feeling a child's forehead, concluded Crandall. In fact, "putting your hand on the forehead, in my opinion, is better, because we know the subject is hot, whereas this device actually said a patient was cooling down. So, the hand could actually be more accurate."

However, [thermometer manufacturer] Exergen President Dr. Francesco Pompei claims the researchers failed to use the product as intended, and that colored the final results.
July 14th, 2007

The $10,000 Thermometer
A thermometer that monitors a child at regular intervals and warns a parent if the temperature gets too high - it's a new product idea that has just won a bunch of high school entrepreneurs a big prize:

For most high school sophomores, the usual Saturday morning consists of sleeping in or sports practice. But for four 16-year-old boys from Newton and Wellesley, the time was spent learning about the business world and winning $10,000 for their idea for a thermometer.

The device would automatically take a child's temperature and warn the parents if it gets too high.

...Their solution involved a patch placed in the child's armpit that takes temperatures at regular intervals, and then sends them to a watch-like device. The device warns the parents if the temperature passes a certain threshold.
September 12th, 2006

 

Thermofocus No-Contact Thermometer
I've written before about the Thermofocus no-contact thermometer, developed by an Italian company. American Scientific Resources has announced in a press release that the thermometer is now available in the US via its Kidz-Med website.

According to the company:

The Thermofocus will be the newest product in the Kidz-Med line of children's health and safety devices. The thermometer has patented infrared technology that allows a temperature to be taken without touching or waking a patient or sleeping baby. The device is totally non-invasive and takes a temporal artery temperature at the forehead, which is a preferred site because of its source of blood flow directly from the head. The Thermofocus is accurate, immediate, and hygienic because it never touches the body.
August 4th, 2006

Fashion Thermometer for Kids
This is new to me - a colorful kids' ear thermometer from fashion house Benetton. I can't find anything about it on the corporate Benetton website, and it doesn't seem to be on sale at Amazon.com. But a few online retailers sell it.
July 24th, 2006

Choosing a Thermometer - Guidance from the Mayo Clinic
Check the Mayo Clinic website for a useful slide show titled "Choosing a Thermometer." The first picture illustrates five different thermometers, and, as the caption says, "If you're over 30, you may not recognize all the temperature-taking gadgets shown here."
May 13th, 2006

Digital Ear Thermometers Are Best
Are digital ear thermometers really accurate? The "Body and Soul" columnist of The Times newspaper believes they are.

A digital thermometer placed in a child’s ear canal will give you the most accurate reading.

A team of researchers from Queen Mary’s Hospital, in Sidcup, Kent, recently reviewed the literature on the most effective methods of monitoring a child’s body temperature. They found that tympanic temperature, the temperature monitored in a child’s ear canal, gives the most accurate reading even when his or her body temperature is changing rapidly.
April 29th, 2006

Thermotek No Touch Thermometer
I've been writing (scroll down) about the Italian-developed no-contact thermometer that's to be released in the US. A press release suggested it was the world's first totally non-contact thermometer.

Thanks to No Touch Thermometers Australia I've learned of another non-contact thermometer, made by Thermotek. This takes an instant reading when held close to the temporal artery above either eye, without touching or wiping across the forehead. It is a fast, accurate and non-invasive method of taking temperatures without even touching the body, and is apparently gaining in popularity in hospitals, especially in infectious disease units.

You can read here of a Norwegian study which found the Thermotek (known in Norway as the Comaco) to be superior to most rivals. A little more detail is at this British commercial site, and further information is available by emailing No Touch Thermometers Australia.
February 17th, 2006

Contactless Thermometer
The Italian-developed no-contact thermometer is to be marketed in the US. According to a press release:

American Scientific Resources today announced an agreement between its subsidiary, Kidz-Med Inc. and Italian manufacturer Tecnimed srl to handle the U.S. retail and consumer distribution of the Thermofocus clinical thermometer. The Thermofocus is the world's first totally "non-contact" thermometer and has been marketed successfully for years in Europe and globally.

The Thermofocus will be the newest product in the Kidz-Med line of children's health and safety devices. The thermometer has patented infrared technology that allows a temperature to be taken without touching or waking a patient or sleeping baby. The device is totally non-invasive and takes a temporal artery temperature at the forehead, which is a preferred site because of its source of blood flow directly from the head. The Thermofocus is accurate, immediate, and hygienic because it never touches the body.
February 9th, 2006

 

Thermometer Guidance for Babies

A new Mum asks a St Louis Post-Dispatch advice columnist for help on what kind of thermometer to use for her baby:

I'm confused about temperature-taking. I thought rectal temperatures were the most accurate, but now the nurse at my doctor's office says to subtract a degree if you use a rectal thermometer. So my son's 100-degree temperature is suddenly nothing to worry about because it's only 99. Is this right?

And the answer:

Dr. Heidi Sallee, assistant professor of pediatrics at St. Louis University and a pediatrician at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, says rectal temperature-taking is still the standard. And go with the temperature on the thermometer - don't worry about adding or subtracting.

"The best way to get a core temperature, a real temperature, is rectally," said Sallee, who also noted that "there have been no good medical studies published to say whether you should add a degree under the arm."

For infants less than 2 months old, if a rectal temperature reaches 100.5, it's time to call the doctor. "They are going to get a huge work-up, spinal tap, hospital stay," says Sallee. "In infants under 2 months, that 100.5 is critical." She says that once a child is more than 2 months old, it's best to look at the behavior of the child combined with what the thermometer is telling you.

"The actual degree of fever doesn't matter as much as looking at the child and the symptoms," she said. "If the temperature is 101 and they are alert and eating well, that's not as much of a concern as if it's 101 and they are lethargic and not eating."

November 17^th, 2005

The Best Home Thermometers
Consumer Reports has published its latest test results on home thermometers. The full report is only available to subscribers, but a press release is here. The report found that ear and forehead thermometers, though giving very quick readings, were difficult to use, were not always accurate and were expensive. Rather, the Accu-Beep digital thermometer from BD did the best job, beeping when properly placed under the tongue and giving an accurate reading in sixty seconds. For quicker results, the report recommended the Vick's Comfort-Flex thermometer and the Omron 20-seconds digital thermometer.

November 1^st, 2005

Honor for Innovative Thermometer

Xilas Medical is to be honored at this week’s Stars of Innovation Gala – organized by the San Antonio Technology Accelerator Initiative – for its ground-breaking TempTouch thermometer for diabetics. The thermometer is for diabetics who have nerve damage, and allows them to check for "hot spots" or inflammation on the bottoms of their feet. An estimated one-third of diabetics suffer from foot ailments, and an estimated 20% of all diabetes-related hospitalizations stem from foot problems. Further details are at the Xilas website.

October 30^th, 2005

Braun Ear Thermometer - Thermoscan IRT 3020

The Braun ear thermometer is the third-most-popular electronic health monitor at Amazon. Because it records body temperature so rapidly – through measuring the infra-red heat generated by the eardrum and surrounding tissues - it is especially suitable for use with babies and young children.

Here is the manufacturer’s product description as given by Amazon:

The Braun ThermoScan model 3020, featuring America's best-selling ear thermometer brand, is a great choice for parents to have on-hand for unexpected childhood illnesses. Only Braun ThermoScan is the thermometer brand most used by pediatricians, based on surveys of pediatricians in the U.S. Braun ThermoScan model 3020 offers proven speed, accuracy and ease of use, so you can feel confident taking the temperature of even your youngest family member. The Braun ThermoScan model 3020 measures temperature in the ear in just one second. The ear is an excellent site to measure temperature because the eardrum and surrounding tissue shares blood supply with the temperature control center in the brain. The Braun ThermoScan model 3020 measures the heat generated by the eardrum and surrounding tissue.

The Amazon website also carries reviews by purchasers.

A larger photo is here. The Braun website includes a useful FAQ page.

October 15^th, 2005