Pharmacy Medicines : Clinical Infrared Thermometer Immune Support

The normal range of human body temperature is around 97.5º Fahrenheit or 37 celsius.

Initial versions of thermometers such as mercury thermometers (inserted under the tongue) can be invasive and intrusive. And for special cases or small children it’s not often a pleasant experience. The development of infared technology radically changed the old ways and allows temperatures to be taken without physical contact.

Being non-contact, they minimise the risk of passing contagious infections from one person to person. Workplaces, hospital wards, offices or schools only have to purchase one for multiple use, as it doesn’t need to be cleaned after, gives a fast and precise measurement. After a reading is taken, further readings can be taken a few seconds afterwards. It can be used without the person being awake, as some tests need to be conducted every 3-4 hours to assess a person’s recovery.

They are extremely easy to use:
1. Switch the thermometer on
2. Keep the thermometer 5-10cm above the forehead for a couple of seconds.
3. Press the switch and record the temperature

This quick and efficient way is useful for taking the temperature of infants and children, or even elderly with mobility issues. The most accurate way of recording body temperature using a thermometer is using rectal thermometer. But as you can imagine, this is extremely invasive as the thermometer has to be inserted 1cm into the rectum and left for approximately 10 seconds. Therefore using an infared method is essentially the next best thing.

A recent study showed that infared thermometers had a 97% sensitivity and specificity, making them a reliable tool to use in clinical settings (1). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21651612