AIBU to be confused - do you subtract 0.5 from an ear thermometer reading?

[Theladypatience]

Got a braun thermoscan used in the ear. It has the colour coded zones to let you know if it’s Normal, elevated, high.
I was just talking to my friend who is a nurse and she said a temp of 37.5 on this would actually be 37 because you subtract 5. There’s nothing about this in the booklet and I’ve not heard this before, but just looked online and generally that seems to be the rule?

Baffled that I’ve never heard this before

Sorry you subtract 0.5

I’m a nurse & we’ve never done that. I’ve never even heard of that

I've never heard this, never been advised to do this and in the many times my ds has been in hospital no nurse has ever taken anything off the reading on the thermometer.

Nope pretty sure this is not true.

Also a nurse, never heard of that or done that in 20 years of taking ear temps!

I've never heard of that. Who advised you to subtract 0.5 from the reading you get?

Your temperature is your temperature and I was actually told by a paediatrician that the ear thermometers are very accurate because the blood going to your head is a good indicator of your actual body temperature (something to do with a vein going to the brain travelling near to the ear canal etc.).

Missed the bit where it was a nurse who advised you to do that. Scary.

I'm a student nurse and we've never been told to subtract off a temp.

Paramedic here and have never done that/never been told to/seen any evidence for it, wonder where she's heard that from!

Absolutely bizarre you've been told that but it's absolutely not true.
I actually suggest you complain so this can be brought to the nurses attention as she's clearly got incorrect information that's she's distributing.
As a parent of a child who had sepsis, this is alarming.

No, your friend is wrong. Worrying that a nurse should think that.

Another nurse here. Never heard of it!!

Okay thanks I thought I was going mad!
I did Google and found it came up then you subtract for ear and add for under arm but Id never heard of it before and never had it advised either!

Temperature readings can alter slightly depending on where you take it from (ie ear/oral/rectal) I wonder if this is what she means? An oral temp (the way most temps used to be taken) will be slightly different to the ear temp (the way most temps are taken now)