Taking temperature

[gnu]

We have one of those digital thermometers that you hold a centimetre away from the temple to get a reading. Typical healthy readings for us are somewhere between 35 and 36, which is a bit below what is described as the normal range with other kinds of thermometer.

Does anyone know if I need to take this difference into account? Does anyone use one of these?

I ask because DD is very hot and flushed this morning and has a temperature of 37.8, which is as high as any of us have had on this thermometer. But this kind of temperature is not normally described as particularly elevated or feverish.

My normal body temp is 36.2 so if I get a reading of 37, it's elevated for me - and a temp of 38 is a fever, but looks like not much of one to anyone else

I dont find these particularly accurate, because if you are sweating (as with a fever) the temperature comes up as lower on them anyway.
Depending on the make, the difference between the temp on the forehead and oral temp is sometimes automatically allowed for anyway-do you have the instructions as they should explain this?

No, they don't seem very reliable (my own temperature often shows as "error - not human" or somesuch") but they are easier than sticking something up DD's bum!

The instructions are not much help, just saying that normal body temps vary from 35 to 37. When using it, I tend to think that if DD's temp is up by 2 degrees or more over normal then she is verging on feverish, even if this is only a temperature of say 37.9. Based on that I would tend to take her to the docs if she read above 39 or so, even though normal advice is to wait until it hits 40/41.

To be honest I think all these thermometers are all so unreliable that I've pretty much given up taking my kid's temp. I know the old fashioned up the bum ones work but it's really not a very nice thing to do to a kid, is it? I've learned to go more by how they look, feel and act. If they feel warm and don't seem themselves I'll give them calpol or ibuprofen. If they don't respond to the medicine or they seem unwell for more than 3 or 4 days we'll see the doc. I know it's not that scientific but it works for us.

Yes you need to take into account that the 'normal' temperature appears to be lower.

For example a temperature taken under the arm is supposed to be 0.4C (I have seen various quotes but this is the one I use)lower than core body temperature. I always add 0.4C to the readings.

What is more important is to know what your 'normal' temperature with a given thermometer and make comparisons to that.

So assuming her 'normal' temp is 36 and now has a temp of 37.8 she has increased nearly 2C - which is more important than the actual temperatures.