Docfan Academy

Thermometers and pulse oximeters are among the most common devices in any pharmacy or clinic. They are simple, but only if used correctly. Neither one makes a diagnosis. They give a number that a trained person must read together with the whole picture.

Thermometers

• Digital (mouth, armpit or rectum): wait for the beep and keep the tip in place.
• Ear (tympanic): use a clean probe cover and place the probe as the IFU shows.
• Forehead (infrared): hold it at the stated distance. Sweat, a draught or a cold room can change the result.
• Mercury-glass: being phased out because mercury is toxic. If one breaks, do not sweep or vacuum it; follow your spill procedure.

Different body sites give different numbers, so note the site. Keep a rectal thermometer separate from one used in the mouth. Clean the thermometer after every person with the method in the IFU, for example an alcohol wipe, and use a fresh probe cover if the device takes one.

Pulse oximeters

A clip on the finger shines light through it and estimates the oxygen in the blood (SpO2) and the pulse rate. Wait until the number is steady. These can give a wrong reading:

• cold hands or poor circulation;
• movement or shivering;
• nail polish or artificial nails;
• strong light on the sensor, or a loose or dirty clip;
• in some devices, skin pigmentation.

If the hand is cold, warm it. Remove the polish, rest the hand, and try again. Clean the clip between patients.

A number is not a diagnosis

A normal reading does not prove that a person is well, and a strange one may just be a bad fingertip. If someone looks unwell, is struggling to breathe or is confused, they need a clinician, whatever the screen says.