How do you take an 11 year old's temperature rectally?

Answer 1

When taking a child's temperature rectally, it mostly done with infants or children who cannot sit still long enough with a glass thermometer in their mouth. Taking a rectal temperature on a child older than 2 or 3 years of age is mostly considered inappropriate. Advances in temperature monitoring have made glass thermometers in general, and rectal thermometers specifically, obsolete. Most electronic thermometers, which read the surface temperature of the ear drum or the skin of the forehead, can provide an accurate reading of the internal temperature of the body, without subjecting a child to the dangers of having a fragile glass thermometer filled with Mercury (which is highly toxic), inserted into their rectum. If the rectal thermometer is the only means you have to take a child's temperature, use the following guidelines: 1. Have the child lie prone on a bed. 2. Take the rectal thermometer from its protective case, and inspect it closely for any chips, cracks or breakage. If your thermometer displays any imperfection at all, discard and do not use. (Some states have strict guidelines on the disposal of Mercury containing thermometers, so be sure to check with your local pharmacy on how to properly dispose of thermometers.) 3. Holding the thermometer firmly at the top (not the mercury bulb end), briskly shake down the mercury so it reads a low temperature. 4. Lubricate the first 1.5 inches of the bulb end of the thermometer with petrolatum or a water soluble lubricant. 5. Using the thumb and forefinger of the opposite hand, part the child's buttocks and gently insert the bulb end of the thermometer into the anus, to a depth of no more than 1 inch. Instruct the child to be quiet, hold still as you wait the three minutes to take a reading. DO NOT EVER let go of the thermometer! 6. After three minutes, gently remove the thermometer slowly, and raise it to the level of your eyes to take the reading. Do not shake the thermometer until you have read it. 7. Give the child a tissue or piece of toilet paper to clean up any residual lubricant from the anus. 8. Wipe the thermometer with tissue, and then wash in lukewarm water with soap and rinse well before storing it back into it's protective case.