What to Consider When Purchasing a Thermometer for Neonates
The temperature measurement of a newborn baby is vital in assessing development and can be an early indicator of potential problems. This is acutely important of Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) or Special Care Baby Units (SCBU) where the newborns require higher levels of medical attention.
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Neonatal Comfort
Traditional forms of temperature measurement ( e.g. axilla, oral, rectal, etc.) all require the baby to be moved, undressed or awakened. Often these methods are invasive which may cause the baby to experience a high level of discomfort or even pain.
When selecting a new thermometer considering using a non-invasive device, such as the TRITEMP non-contact infrared thermometer. TRITEMP ensures there is ZERO contact with the baby when taking temperature. Also, TRITEMP has a “silent mode” which minimises beeping sounds that may disturb the baby
Infection Control
Most traditional methods of temperature measurement involve making contact with the baby. Physical contact is one of the most common causes of infection spread, therefore, every point of contact could risk cross-infection. Healthcare professionals must ensure necessary infection control measures are taken to minimise infection spread. This is particulary important when working with patients of weakened immune systems – such as neonates.
One way to achieve this is to minimise the contact the babies have with medical equipment. By moving to non-contact thermometers your ward can remove an unnecessary contact point and remove the risk of cross-infection by thermometers!
TRITEMP™ ensures ZERO contact and risk of cross-infection. Furthermore, as TRITEMP™ requires ZERO consumables this reduces clinical waste and infection risk from the waste.
Time Required
Did you know that some commonly used thermometers can take anywhere from 1-3 minutes to obtain an accurate reading1 ? That does not include the time nurses take to ensure the thermometer is positioned correctly or find and replace probe covers.
TRITEMP offers a time-saving solution that increases workflow efficiencies and releases time to care. With the simple TAP & TAKE technique, you can obtain accurate core body temperature measurements in seconds2
