A thermometer is used to measure and record a person’s body temperature to determine if they’re fighting illness or inflammation. But choosing the right thermometer to complete this task might seem challenging at first. This guide will explain how to select a device which is accurate, cost-effective, safe and easy to use.
Accurate Reading
Without the promise of an accurate temperature reading, there’s little point in using a thermometer at all. So, before you purchase a device, be sure to check its precision. TRITEMP™ non contact thermometers boast an impressive 0.2°C accuracy rate. Ensure that you always follow the best practice guidelines on how to use your thermometer for an accurate reading.
In the case of the TRITEMP™, this will involve acclimatising the thermometer to the room temperature for 20 minutes beforehand and making sure there’s no hot or cold air circulating from fans, heaters, ovens or vents.
Cost Effectiveness
If you’re purchasing your thermometers for largescale use, such as in a healthcare then the cost of your device will be an important factor. With the TRITEMP™ thermometer, you will only need to consider the cost of the actual model.
However, if you have chosen another device which uses plastic caps, then you must be prepared to for the regular payment to source and store the caps themselves and also ongoing cost of disposing them safely.
Infection Control
When you’re taking the temperature of multiple patients or personnel, it’s critical that you eliminate the potential for infections to spread from person to person. This has never been more important than during the pandemic; an elevated body temperature is one of the key signs of COVID-19, but the virus could easily spread from one person to the next via a contact thermometer.
As a superior choice, TRITEMP™ is a non-contact forehead thermometer which doesn’t need the expense of plastic caps to minimise infection control. You simply point the thermometer at a person’s head and capture the reading before moving onto the next person.
Temperature Taking Made Easy
Thermometers are available on the market in either digital or analogue glass models. Typically, temperature readings can be taken via the rectum, ear, mouth or forehead. Internal probes have long been popular as they are deemed to offer an accurate core body temperature. However, non-contact thermometers such as TRITEMP™ now equal this precision rate and are easier to use too.
TRITEMP™ is designed with nurses in mind, and is therefore classified as a medical grade thermometer. The simple ’TAP & TAKE’ mechanism allows you to obtain a person’s temperature in less than a second. This is just one of the reasons why TRITEMP™ is already being used across 21 different countries and has achieved CE certification.
To learn more about our non-contact thermometers or to place an order, please contact TriMedika today on +44 28 90 265 10 or email info@trimedika.com.
FAQ’s
Thermometers measure body temperature which is important in medicine. Many diseases and conditions, from the common cold to cancer or COVID-19, can create an elevated temperature or fever, which is simply the body’s way of fighting an infection. A healthy adult’s temperature is normally around 37 °C. If a person begins to feel warm, cold or shivery, then they may have a body temperature which is raised above 37.8°C.
Using an accurate thermometer such as TRITEMP™ is an essential way of realising that your body is fighting an infection. In the case of a virus such as COVID-19, early detection is key to minimising the spread of the disease.
Not all thermometers are eco-friendly. Any thermometer which requires physical contact will usually have plastic caps for infection control. Unfortunately, this use of plastic consumables is incredibly wasteful. In a 900-bed hospital, 2-3 million temperatures will be taken every year, which amounts to 2-3 million plastic caps being disposed of in just a single healthcare setting.
By switching to TRITEMP™ non-contact forehead thermometers, zero probe covers are required which contributes towards a reduction of 150,000,000 plastic caps waste.
Similarly, plastic consumables accounts for 97% of NHS thermometer costs each year, which represents an enormous waste of money.
TRITEMP™ is clearly a more cost-effective device to benefit from. Additionally, with its 0.2°C accuracy, which is equal to any internal probe thermometer, the TRITEMP™ device reduces the need to regularly replace your thermometers. With less than a 0.5% breakage rate and a two-year guarantee on all devices, you can be assured of a quality investment when you switch to TRITEMP™.
References
* https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms/main-symptoms/
* https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/fever-in-adults
* https://files.digital.nhs.uk/25/AAFD74/Sustainability%20Annual%20Report%202019-20.pdf
Disclaimer: This blog article does not constitute advice for Healthcare Professionals. It is written as a guide only and should not be constituted as advice. Healthcare Professionals should ensure they use their own clinical judgement and use sources of information from regulated bodies, when selecting any medical device.
