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How to take your temperature

As part of the monitoring of the COVVI-19 epidemic, the temperature taking is a primordial gesture.But be careful to use the right method.Front thermometers, however very popular, are not the most recommended.

Taking properly your temperature is a key gesture for health in general and particularly in the context of the COVVI-19 epidemic, the disease due to the coronavirus, which presents itself as a "feverish respiratory disease" (that is to say.say with a fever)).

Alert signs

Fever is therefore one of the signs of alert and anyone who has stayed in an area where the virus is actively circulating must "monitor its temperature twice a day" within 14 days, say the health authorities.

The fever is generally defined as a temperature above 38 ° C.But taking your temperature properly at home is a little more complicated than it seems. En effet, les différentes méthodes ne se valent pas.All home temperature measurements are made on the outskirts of the body (on the skin, in the mouth, etc..)).Now the "real" temperature is the temperature inside the body, precisely that of the pulmonary artery.A good external temperature measurement will therefore be the one that most corresponds to the internal temperature.This is more or less the case, depending on the type of thermometer used and the place where the temperature is taken.The best ways to do are to take the temperature by rectal or oral route with an electronic thermometer or in the ear with an infrared thermometer.

Electronic thermometers: essential equipment

Since the disappearance of mercury thermometers, electronic thermometers, also called digital thermometers, have imposed themselves as reliable and inexpensive tools (less than 10 €)).Their use is simple: a probe at one end, a button on the other, a screen in the middle. La mesure est relativement rapide (moins d’une minute en général, la fin étant indiquée par un signal sonore)) et la lecture plus simple avec l’affichage digital qu’elle ne l’était sur un thermomètre gradué.

Good to know.It is possible that these devices "derive" in time, that is to say lose in accuracy over the years.It is difficult to recalibrate them, so in case of doubt about a model dating back several years, it is neither unreasonable nor too expensive to buy a new one.

Under the armpit (axillary route))

La température mesurée sous l’aisselle reflète mal la vraie température.Indeed, the armpit is not a "closed" place but influenced by the outside temperature whether it is the freshness of an air current or the heat of a duvet.To minimize errors, you have to place the tip of the probe in the center of the armpit and fold your arm against the chest.But even so, this is not a first choice method.

In the mouth (oral track))

La prise de température dans la bouche est relativement proche de la vraie température. Cette localisation est pratique (pas besoin de se déshabiller)) et facile d’accès.But it requires keeping your mouth well closed. Et en réalité, ce n’est pas simplement dans la bouche mais précisément sous la langue qu’il faut placer et garder le bout du thermomètre.

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For this reason, taking temperature in the mouth is not recommended in children under 5 years old.

In practice, the temperature under the language is influenced by food intake, especially drinks, hot or cold, which can cause significant variations.Also it is better to avoid taking your temperature in the mouth within half an hour following an ingestion.Breathing through the mouth also has an influence.

We consider that there is a fever if the sublingual temperature is greater than 37.5 ° C.

In the anus (ano-rectal route))

C’est l’endroit où la température est la plus proche de la vraie température (écart de +/- 0,5 °C)).Ignored by Anglo-Saxon recommendations, this location requires a certain delicacy but it offers the best guarantee of accuracy.

This is the recommended method in children from birth to the age of 5.A learning is recommended because the anal temperature taking can cause injuries.You have to sleep the child on your back and fold your legs. Recouvrir le bout de la sonde (partie argentée)) d’un produit lubrifiant (type vaseline)) facilite l’introduction dans le rectum, qui se fera doucement, sur deux centimètres environ.

It is also the technique recommended for older children and adults when you need the most exact measurement of temperature.If it is not feasible, taking the mouth or the use of a atrial thermometer are the best alternatives.

Attention.A thermometer used by anal route must obviously be reserved for this purpose.As with other uses, it will be washed with soap, rinsed and dried, both before and after use.In this specific case, note on the thermometer its destination can be judicious.Having a thermometer for each family member is also a solution.

Auricular thermometers: reliable, so well used

Ear thermometers use infrared radiation to assess the temperature.This allows them to make rapid and contactless measures. Ils sont dits « auriculaires » bien qu’en réalité c’est la température du tympan (la membrane au fond du conduit auditif)) qui est recherchée. La précision est importante car on sait que la température du tympan reflète bien la température de l’intérieur du corps mais qu’il n’est pas toujours facile de le viser.

In toddlers, the conformation of the ear is such that it is very difficult to reach it.Also the use of aticular thermometers is not recommended in those under 2 years old.

The presence of obstacles in the ear canal - ceromen cap or even strong hair!–Rend the inaccurate measurement.

To properly use a ear thermometer, several precautions are to be taken.You must first cover the probe with a disposable tip. Il est conseillé de tirer sur le pavillon de l’oreille (c’est la partie repliée en bordure extérieure)) à la fois vers le haut et l’arrière de manière à dégager l’accès au tympan.Gently introduce the tip until it fills the flush with the ear.Then launch the measurement.And obviously, for a person lying on the side, you should not take the temperature in the ear that was against the pillow!

Front thermometers: popular but not essential

Like ear models, so -called frontal thermometers also measure the temperature thanks to infrared radiation.They are appreciated for the lack of contact, speed and ease of reading.But frontal infrared thermometers are not recommended first to equip yourself at home. Le problème avec ces appareils n’est pas tant la qualité de leur mesure que l’endroit où ils la mesurent : la température sur le front ne reflète pas toujours bien la vraie température à l’intérieur du corps.The front is indeed an area subject to various variations.For example, the external temperature plays a lot on the front temperature.In some very sick people who suffer from vasoconstriction, the temperature rises inside but is not transmitted on the forehead.

Evaluations of this kind of thermometer, carried out for example with a view to mass detection in airports, shows insufficient precision.Front infrared thermometers miss many cases: they do not detect between 1 and 20 % of people who are in reality in reality.They are also mistaken in the other direction, indicating a fever in 1 to 25 % of people who actually do not have them.

To note. Prendre la température sur la tempe (où passe l’artère temporale)) semble donner une meilleure indication.But this measure is often carried out with professional devices and it is therefore difficult to transpose it to the house.

Liquid crystal thermometers: do not use

"Easy and unbreakable" are two terms often highlighted to describe this kind of thermometer. Peu importe, le problème c’est que ces thermomètres ne sont pas fiables du tout.These liquid crystal strips arise on the forehead and give the temperature in the form of a color scale.The result is imprecise and inaccurate.Do not use them.

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Thank you to Professor Olivier Saint-Lary, general practitioner, vice-president of the National College of Teaching Generalists (CGEN)).

Perrine Vennetier