Emergency Nursing Resource: Non-Invasive Temperature Measurement in the Emergency Department

Considerations for the measurement of core, skin and mean body temperatures

“…Furthermore, depending upon the site chosen, its temperature can reflect whole-body heat storage or simply the temperature of blood irrigating those tissues and their local metabolic rate. Finally, temperature measurement may be compromised in emergency situations to facilitate treatment, resulting in the use of more remote measures (Barnason et al, 2012).…”

How to measure a patient’s temperature non-invasively

“…Various invasive and non-invasive methods can be used to measure temperature. Invasive methods include pulmonary artery temperature, using a catheter to measure pulmonary artery temperature; rectal temperature, using a rectal thermometer; and bladder temperature, using a temperature-sensing indwelling urinary catheter to measure core body temperature (Barnason et al 2012). However, Sund-Levander and Grodzinsky (2013) emphasised that the rectal measurement of temperature is unhygienic and can pose a risk to patients by increasing physical and psychological stress, anxiety and discomfort.…”

“…Non-invasive methods for measuring temperature include using the temporal, tympanic, axillary and oral sites (Barnason et al 2012). Gasim et al (2013) found that measuring tympanic temperature was simple to undertake and provided a quick temperature reading.…”

Ten Things We Might Not Want to Do Anymore: How Research Changes Nursing Practice

“…However, there is no evidence to support their use in any emergency department population. 17 10. Use of ABGs to determine metabolic acidosis: Venous blood gas measurements are highly sensitive and specific reflections of metabolic acidosis and reduce the associated pain and risks of arterial sticks.…”