Medical Thermometers

A body thermometer is used to measure a person’s temperature. Normal body temperature is generally considered to be 98.6°F or 37°C. A person with a body temperature at or above 100.4°F (38°C) is considered to have a fever.

There are contact and non-contact medical thermometers that are used to assess a person’s temperature. These include oral thermometers, axillary (armpit) thermometers, rectal thermometers, ear (tympanic) thermometers, and forehead scan thermometers. All can provide accurate readings when the protocols for administration are followed correctly. However, it is important to understand that there can be some variability based on which protocol is used. With the oral temperature reading as a standard for comparison:

• Axillary (armpit) thermometer readings can vary from 0.5°F (0.3°C) to 1°F (0.6°C) lower than oral temperature readings
• Temporal thermometer readings are often 0.5°F (0.3°C) to 1°F (0.6°C) lower than oral temperature readings
• Rectal thermometer readings can vary from 0.5°F (0.3°C) to 1°F (0.6°C) higher than oral temperature readings
• Tympanic thermometer readings can vary from 0.5°F (0.3°C) to 1°F (0.6°C) higher than oral temperature readings