Instructions for using a mercury thermometer. Devices for measuring body temperature. Oral body temperature measurement

So, yesterday we started a discussion about the dangers of mercury and the problem of a broken mercury thermometer. The most important question remained with us - what to do if the thermometer crashed, what should be the algorithm of actions in this case? Where do you need to go in case of a similar problem and where do you need to dispose of the remains of the broken device? We figure it out step by step.

Where to begin?

In general, according to the rules of all emergency textbooks, if residential or public premises are contaminated with hazardous substances of the first hazard class, an immediate appeal to the Ministry of Emergencies is necessary, which must eliminate the consequences of the accident. But many already know from practice that sometimes the Ministry of Emergency Situations or special institutions for the disposal of hazardous waste simply do not get through, and they will not be in a hurry to go to you urgently to collect mercury from thermometers. Therefore, if you panic, you can call the "01" service and consult on how to properly clean the mercury in your apartment. Experts will certainly give you a lot of practical advice and instructions, in addition, most likely you will be shown the address of the enterprise where you will need to hand over hazardous waste for disposal - collected mercury and the remains of a thermometer.

Special situations

Thinking about how to collect mercury yourself is not worth it in cases where there are special conditions - then you need to call the Ministry of Emergencies. Mercury instantly boils and evaporates at a temperature of +40 degrees Celsius, and if it gets on a heating radiator or heater. It will evaporate almost instantly, polluting the entire air in the room. Also, do not collect mercury on your own in childcare facilities that are closed and very poorly ventilated, with very warm rooms, especially in the summer or during the heating season. It is also forbidden to clean up mercury for people from groups at particular risk of mercury poisoning.

This group of people includes:

Pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy, since mercury easily penetrates the placenta and can damage the fetus;
- children and adolescents under the age of 18, as mercury can negatively affect the processes of growth and development;
- elderly people over 65 years old due to slow metabolism and extremely slow elimination of mercury from the body;
- patients with lesions of the liver and kidneys, diseases of the central nervous system, weakened and often and long-term ill.

All these people, provided that the air is contaminated with mercury, must be immediately removed from the room, and proceed to disinfecting all surfaces and air in the room (demercurization).

How can you collect a broken thermometer

Of course, you and I said that mercury is a dangerous substance, and often breaking a thermometer in their own home, many are afraid of instant poisoning and make too many unnecessary movements. Collecting mercury balls from a broken thermometer is difficult, especially if your hands are shaking with fear. But, the other extreme is also very common, people do not attach any importance to the fact that they broke the thermometer, carelessly sweep the mercury into a scoop with a broom and throw it into the trash bin, which stands for several more days in the apartment.

With this phenomenon, numerous mercury balls remain in the dwelling for a long time, and poison the air in the room with their gradually evaporating vapors. And then they are surprised - why did we start to get sick so often, why does the child's stomach get upset, vomit, sluggish or agitated, and the head just breaks from pain? Probably the weather affects! And mercury itself evaporates and evaporates from the corners, destroying the kidneys and liver. Therefore, if you dropped a mercury thermometer and it crashed, you should not panic, but you cannot ignore the rules for collecting mercury and demercurizing a room. It is worth acting according to the accepted algorithm for removing mercury from an apartment or house.

So what should we do?

Carefully inspect the fallen thermometer without lifting it off the floor. Maybe there is a crack in it and the scale has gone wrong - this is the most successful option. If there is a suspicion that he is completely broken, do not lift him from the floor, especially with bare hands, without prior preparation. Take any airtight glass jar - preferably a jar with a lid - and carefully place the cracked thermometer in the jar to prevent the mercury from leaking out. For greater safety, you can pre-fill the jar with ice water. You cannot throw this jar with a thermometer as ordinary rubbish in a trash can or garbage chute. Contact the Ministry of Emergency Situations or type in a search engine - we have two recycling enterprises in our city, I think they are in your city too, I found a portal on the Internet - kudagradusnik.ru, it contains addresses of recycling enterprises by city.

If the thermometer falls, breaks, and mercury has flowed out of it, it will be necessary to carefully collect and clean it in the room. Where do you start? First of all, immediately remove all occupants from the accident room, including pets and birds. Firstly, no one will breathe mercury vapor, and secondly, they will not carry mercury on their feet and paws throughout the house. Close the door tightly, if there are cracks under the doors, tuck them in with a wet rag dipped in a solution of potassium permanganate, open the windows or turn on the split system at full capacity to create at least 16-17 degrees and below in the room. At this temperature, the mercury rolls into balls and does not evaporate.

To protect your respiratory system and inhale less mercury, wear a gauze or medical mask, placing several layers of wet gauze moistened with a manganese or soda solution under it. Experts advise working in synthetic clothing, as it is less breathable and does not allow mercury vapor to actively circulate to the body. If mercury gets on your clothes, it will have to be thrown away, since it will be impossible to clean it, therefore, wear old, unusable clothes. Before collecting mercury, put on heavy rubber gloves and shoe covers or bags on your feet, protect your skin and shoes. All things that were in contact with mercury then tie after the end of collection in a tight bag, and hand over together with a thermometer and mercury.

Collecting mercury from the floor

Fill a jar with cold water and place it next to you, mercury sinks in the water and slows down evaporation. Take two sheets of paper, a brush and cotton swab, tape or plaster, a flashlight or lamp, a medical bulb or syringe with a thick needle, and a knitting needle. Drive the balls of mercury with two leaves into a large ball, and move them into the jar, you can drive them away with a soft brush or cotton swab. Stick small balls on pieces of scotch tape or plaster and throw them into the jar, use a flashlight or lamp to illuminate the floors from the side, in the transmitted light the mercury balls will be reflected and you can collect them all. Especially carefully inspect the cracks in the floor and plinth, if mercury has rolled under the plinth, you need to raise it and carefully assemble everything. It is convenient to collect mercury from the cracks with a pear or syringe, sucking them in with a knitting needle, since mercury sticks to metals.

If the collection is slow, go out every 10-15 minutes to breathe and drink plenty of liquid, and in a hot room above + 25-30 degrees, the simultaneous stay in the room is a maximum of 7-10 minutes. When leaving the contaminated room, we remove the bags or shoe covers from our feet and throw them into the bag for disposal. After carefully collecting all the mercury balls, we tightly close the jar and take it out into the cold, in a non-residential premises (balcony, garage, outside, out of the reach of children and other persons). We wash the floors with a strong solution of potassium permanganate or whiteness, a solution of soda several times. A rag - in a recycling bag. Carefully spray the cracks in the floor from the spray bottle with this solution and leave for at least a day to neutralize the smallest particles of mercury that are invisible to the eye.

When mercury spills from a thermometer, it is strictly forbidden to carry out certain actions:

Airing the premises with a draft, then the balls of mercury will roll throughout the house, and the poisonous vapors will spread to all rooms;
- you cannot sweep the mercury with a broom - the balls will be crushed into fine dust, stick to the rods and lift the mercury into the air, contaminating everything in the sweeping path;
- you cannot use a vacuum cleaner, as you will transfer due to heat and spray mercury into an aerosol and get poisoned. The vacuum cleaner will then be hopelessly poisoned with mercury, it can only be disposed of;
- wash things that got mercury in the washing machine, these things are only for disposal;
- drain mercury balls from sewers and pipes. Mercury will stick to pipes, and will poison the atmosphere for you and your neighbors for a long time;
- you must not throw the mercury and the thermometer into the garbage chute, burn it, bury it.

If mercury gets on fabrics, furniture or wood surfaces? The wood can be treated with the solutions described above, but it is better to throw out carpets, fabrics and toys. If this cannot be done in any way, they need to be exposed to the sun for at least a month, the mercury will gradually evaporate and disappear, but no one knows how completely. It is impossible to wash, soak with solutions and process them - whiteness, potassium permanganate will ruin things, therefore, there is not much choice here. In any case, mercury can remain on carpets and fabrics for a long time - these things will be dangerous.

An infrared thermometer is a modern device that will determine body temperature in just a few seconds, without even touching it. Quite recently, non-contact thermometers appeared in Medtekhnika Ortosalon stores and immediately became popular. After some time, buyers began to complain about the inaccuracy of measurements.

“We bought an infrared thermometer to measure the temperature of a small child. It seemed to my husband that he was showing incorrectly. Therefore, they began to check with mercury. It turned out, indeed, infrared overestimates the readings "
- Oksana, buyer of Medtekhnika Ortosalon store

It should be noted that most people use this device incorrectly, which is the main reason for inaccurate readings. In this article, we will show you how to correctly measure the temperature. .

Content:

Non-contact thermometer error

Manufacturers in the instructions indicate the permissible error of thermometers:

mercury - 0.1 ° C

electronic - 0.1-0.2 ° C

infrared - 0.3 ° C

Users note that the error of an infrared thermometer sometimes reaches 0.5 ° C. This is already significant, isn't it? Experts say that the body temperature of a sick person can change by +/- 1 ° C within minutes. Mercury models take these fluctuations into account and show the maximum value. Infrared, on the other hand, determine the temperature in 1-3 seconds, at a particular moment. That is why it is not recommended to check the readings of infrared with mercury.

Why does an infrared thermometer lie?

Even if we assume that you correctly measure the temperature with a non-contact thermometer, there are several more reasons for its "lies":

the cleanliness of the sensor (there should be no dust, scratches or streaks on it);

the room has an air conditioner or heater;

wet forehead of the patient;

the presence of cosmetics or creams in the measurement area;

dead batteries (batteries).

If you have been using an infrared thermometer for several months, and it suddenly began to show incorrectly, we recommend that you have it checked by the manufacturer's service center. So you will definitely be confident in the quality of the data.

How to use an infrared thermometer

In order for a non-contact thermometer to show the correct result, adhere to some rules for its use:

Eliminate extraneous air flows - air conditioner, fan, heater.

Make sure that the patient has a clean forehead, without cosmetics and creams.

If the person is sweating, wipe their forehead with a tissue.

Wipe the infrared sensor with a soft cloth to remove dust particles.

Ask the patient to sit up straight, not move or speak during the measurement.

Brief instructions on how to correctly measure temperature with an infrared thermometer:

Switch on the device.

Precise device for measuring body temperature.

Appointment

Thermometers for measuring temperature are accurate instruments. Measurement results are accurate when used correctly and in accordance with this manual.

Functional features

To prevent the ingress of mercury into the environment, when the thermometer breaks down, a protective colored polymer coating is applied to the reservoir. The coating can be removed after repeated disinfection. Uncoated thermometer is usable.

Instructions for use

Take the thermometer by the upper end and lower it with the reservoir down. Shake the thermometer with your hand so that the meniscus of the mercury column is below the digital mark of 35.5 ° C on the scale. Place the reservoir thermometer in the center of the person's armpit / groin and press down with hand / foot to fix the thermometer. Avoid applying strong pressure to the thermometer. In debilitated patients, it is necessary to hold the hand when measuring the temperature. Withstand the thermometer for about 5 minutes. Remove the thermometer from the armpit / groin and read the temperature on the scale.

The temperature measurement method is suitable for infants and young children. When measuring temperature in children, it is recommended to fix the thermometer in the armpit / groin, holding the child's hand by the forearm or leg by the thigh. This procedure must be followed for every temperature measurement. After taking a bath or shower, you should postpone the temperature measurement for 30 minutes. In the event of an unexpected increase or decrease in temperature, it is recommended to repeat the measurement several times at short intervals. It is recommended to measure the temperature 2 times a day: at 7-8 o'clock in the morning and 17-19 o'clock in the evening. Record the time and measurement results so that you can show them to your doctor if necessary. After use, the thermometer must be disinfected: at home, wash it with warm water and soap.

special instructions

ATTENTION! The thermometer contains mercury! Mercury outside the thermometer is dangerous! A rupture of the column of mercury in the capillary tube above the reservoir of mercury is not a defect, it is typical for thermometers with a maximum setting.
Handle the thermometer very carefully: do not drop, do not overheat. Broken thermometers are special waste and must be disposed of in accordance with specific rules and regulations. In case the thermometer breaks, try to stay in this room as little as possible. If you come into direct contact with mercury or suspect that you have inhaled mercury vapor, it is recommended that you seek medical attention. Collect thermometer fragments only when wearing protective gloves. Temporarily store a broken thermometer and its fragments in a closed container with water, and then hand over to an organization that collects and disposes of such waste. The collection of mercury must be carried out by the appropriate environmental protection agency in accordance with the regulations in force.

INDICATIONS OF THE PREPARATION.

Thermometers for measuring temperature are accurate instruments. Measurement results are accurate when used correctly and in accordance with this manual.

MODE OF APPLICATION.

Thermometers for measuring temperature are accurate instruments. Measurement results are accurate when used correctly and in accordance with this manual. Take the thermometer by the upper end and lower it with the reservoir down. Shake the thermometer by hand so that the meniscus of the column of mercury is below the digital mark of 35.5 ° C on the scale. Place the reservoir thermometer in the center of the person's armpit / groin and press down with hand / foot to fix the thermometer. Avoid applying strong pressure to the thermometer. In debilitated patients, it is necessary to hold the hand when measuring the temperature. Withstand the thermometer for about 5 minutes. Remove the thermometer from the armpit / groin and read the temperature on the scale. The temperature measurement method is suitable for infants and young children. When measuring temperature in children, it is recommended to fix the thermometer in the armpit / groin, holding the child's hand by the forearm or leg by the thigh. This procedure must be followed for every temperature measurement. After taking a bath or shower, you should postpone the temperature measurement for 30 minutes. In case of an unexpected increase or decrease in temperature, it is recommended to repeat the measurement several times at short intervals. It is recommended to measure the temperature 2 times a day: at 7-8 in the morning and 17-19 in the evening. Record the time and measurement results so that you can show them to your doctor if necessary. After use, the thermometer must be disinfected: at home, wash it with warm water and soap.

Special instructions: ATTENTION!

The thermometer contains mercury! Mercury outside the thermometer is dangerous! A rupture of the column of mercury in the capillary tube above the reservoir of mercury is not a defect, it is typical for thermometers with a maximum setting. Handle the thermometer very carefully: do not drop, do not overheat. Broken thermometers are special waste and must be disposed of in accordance with specific rules and regulations. In case the thermometer breaks, try to stay in this room as little as possible. If you come into direct contact with mercury or suspect that you have inhaled its vapors, it is recommended that you seek medical attention. Collect thermometer fragments only when wearing protective gloves. Temporarily store a broken thermometer and its fragments in a closed container with water, and then hand over to an organization that collects and disposes of such waste. The collection of mercury must be carried out by the appropriate environmental protection agency in accordance with the regulations in force.

Medicine appeared a long, long time ago. It is constantly progressing, developing, scientists and doctors receive more and more new knowledge, use it in practice and ultimately save lives and heal people from serious illnesses.

However, many centuries ago, medicine was rather poorly developed, what today seems to us a trifling sore, used to be a fatal disease, even the same cold.

In contact with

Healers had the most elementary ideas about the structure of a person, about the structure of the body, and even less knowledge was about various human vulnerabilities, so doctors did not perform any operations or other complex procedures. They simply did not know how, they treated only the most primitive infections, and even then, not always successfully.

Introduction

Nevertheless, as mentioned earlier, medicine developed, various drugs began to appear, more and more new diseases were studied, and medicines for them appeared and were developed, mortality decreased, and some viruses completely disappeared.

Along with medicine, such a branch of social life as science developed, and it is not surprising that science itself was also related to medicine itself, to develop some kind of device for a physicist, or to obtain information about a new virus for a biologist, create a new medicine for a chemist, these are the main tasks, the solution of which scientists were engaged in, and continue to be engaged to this day.

Undoubtedly, scientists have made a huge contribution to the development of medicine, found cures for many diseases, provided us with the opportunity to quickly diagnose this disease and begin treatment, immunity has strengthened, now it is not so easy for sores to attack our body.

New electronic thermometer

Improvements and innovations consist not only in the development of new drugs and other drugs that are able to protect and preserve our body, but also in devices that can diagnose any disease, in the latest electronic devices that will significantly speed up the healing process and the treatment itself, will do for us all the most difficult and painstaking work.

Moreover, absolutely all branches of medicine are now improving, we do not need to guess what is inside a person, what interferes and complicates his life, we can simply turn to high technologies and conduct an X-ray. Doctors do not need to do a complex cardiac massage; they can simply use a more effective method - a defibrillator. And even in such trifles as a thermometer, we no longer need to bother and wait for a certain period of time, sitting in an uncomfortable position with a thermometer under the armpit, we can use an electronic thermometer.

Even such a trifle as a thermometer, people have improved without much difficulty, an electronic thermometer is superior to a mercury thermometer in almost all respects.

The first thing that can be noted is the mercury itself in the thermometer. Everyone knows that such a thermometer can break and mercury will leak out. It, in turn, is toxic, and there is a risk of injury if measures are not taken in time. Of course, everyone is used to handling such thermometers with care and always monitor their use, but there is always a small chance of problems arising if the parents do not keep track of the child who breaks the thermometer, and does not even know the toxicity of mercury, such a scenario can be very sad consequences. Fortunately, this cannot be said about an electronic thermometer.

Prices for electronic thermometers

electronic thermometer

Benefits of an electronic thermometer well b

Electronics in its pure form has not yet poisoned or killed anyone, even if you break such a thermometer, and it is difficult to do this, due to the durable plastic case, no mercury will leak out of it in any case and no one will suffer from such a breakdown, which can not but rejoice, that is, the electronic thermometer is absolutely safe for use by both adults and children.

The second advantage, as well as the difference between an electronic thermometer and a conventional mercury thermometer, is the speed of temperature measurement, and this is the main purpose of the thermometer, to accurately and quickly measure the temperature. To get an accurate result from the well-known mercury thermometer, you will have to wait about 10 minutes, then the mercury will heat up to the body temperature, rise and, finally, point us to the exact result.

In turn, an electronic thermometer carries out the same procedure much faster, you do not need to wait for any length of time, be careful and do not rush, you only need to turn on the thermometer and measure the temperature in the most common, known way, the thermometer gives the result immediately, which will subsequently accelerate the process of deciding how to proceed further, giving medicine to the patient, calling an ambulance. It will be possible to make a decision much faster than in 10 minutes, which are necessary to obtain a result from a mercury thermometer.

But, if in the case of a mercury thermometer everyone knows how to use it, then for an electronic thermometer there are certain rules of use, instructions for use.

Features of the thermometer

It is important to understand that electronic thermometers show the measurement results on a special display, have a sound signal that notifies about the completion of the temperature measurement procedure, automatically turn off and, as mentioned earlier, do not beat. But measurements have their own subtleties.

First, you need to prepare the device for use, you need to wipe it, press the power button, and wait, the sensor needs time to calibrate and return to normal. On the display, as a rule, such symbols as Lo and C are blinking. It is also important to take into account that at a high air temperature in the room, the sensor will show it, it records the temperature from 32 degrees and above.

Advantages of a thermometer:

Disadvantages:

• May fail.
• Has a measurement error. (accuracy).

Well B thermometer prices

thermometer Well B

Temperature measurement methods and instructions for use

How to correctly measure the temperature with an electronic thermometer? As they say, in the old fashioned way, it is customary to place the device precisely in the armpits of the left or right hand and measure the temperature. However, it is believed that measuring the temperature by placing a thermometer in the patient's mouth, that is, oral, is much more effective, it is more accurate and, importantly, faster. Place the thermometer on the side under the tongue. Of course, while reconciliation is being carried out, you cannot move, open your mouth, and, moreover, talk.

Measurements are made within one minute. The thermometer will beep at the end of the procedure and will notify you of the result.

But really, you can measure the temperature and, in the so-called armpit, this method is called axillary. It is important that when measuring the temperature in this way, the axillary zone should be dry, moisture should not be, therefore, before taking a measurement, wipe the skin with a dry cloth. Next, put the device in the center of the armpit and for a closer contact of the sensor with the skin, press your hand as hard as possible to the body and hold it in this position until the end of the temperature measurement.

The measurement time in this way varies from 1.5 to 2 minutes. However, after the beep, it is worth holding the thermometer for a while, this is due to the fact that the temperature in this zone is half a degree lower than under the tongue.

To correctly measure the temperature, follow the instructions well b

Rectal temperature measurement is also acceptable. It is made only with the permission of the doctor or if any other is not available. The thermometer probe during rectal measurement is inserted into the anus at 1.5–2 cm. The measurement time is also 1 minute, no more.

Typically, this method is used to measure temperature in infants. For this, a special thermometer is used. for measuring rectal temperature. It differs from the usual one with a short and rounded end, which makes its use safe, and, most importantly, painless. A regular thermometer is also suitable for this procedure, but for safety reasons, you should use a special thermometer separate from others.

In the case of a mercury thermometer, you would need to gently shake off the temperature, while the electronic one just needs to be turned on and, if necessary, lubricate it with a small amount of cream for better gliding.

You should also remember about the technical side of the device, for example, about batteries. On average, the batteries last about 2 years, after which they should be replaced otherwise they will start to "lie" and the thermometer will show an incorrect measurement result.

The thermometer comes with a plastic cover, after measuring the temperature, you must wipe the thermometer with a napkin, preferably with alcohol, and place it in the cover.

Many have noticed that sometimes an electronic thermometer can be wrong, and an error is obtained. But this is not such a serious problem. Firstly, so that there is no error or it is as small as possible, you should buy a cheaper thermometer. A high price does not always indicate good quality; there should not be too many details on the thermometer. The error, if any, can on average be from 0.3 to 0.8 degrees. Although there are rumors that an electronic thermometer shows a temperature lower than a mercury one, with all this, the accuracy is good and the temperature can be measured, the measurements are correct.

That's all the information about the types and uses of thermometers. Technology will make our life easier and medicine with electronic thermometers is no exception, however, it will be better if you don't have to use any of the existing thermometers at all. But if the need arises, you know what and how to do in order to correctly, knowing the instructions, measure body temperature.