![]() Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. Clinical Procedures for Safer Patient Care by Glynda Rees Doyle and Jodie Anita McCutcheon, British Columbia Institute of Technology. © 2015 British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). Part of this content was adapted from OER #1 (as noted in brackets above): Healthcare providers should wait about 5 minutes if the client is chewing gum or has just smoked since both of these activities can increase temperature. The temperature of the beverage/food also factors into the wait period, as extreme heat or cold will require longer wait times for oral temperature assessment. If another route is not available, healthcare providers should wait 15 to 25 minutes to take the oral temperature following consumption of a hot or cold beverage/food. Selecting an alternate route under the aforementioned circumstances is most conducive to a fast-paced clinical environment and most respectful of the client’s time. If the client has recently consumed hot or cold food or beverage, chewing gum, or has smoked prior to measurement, the healthcare provider should use another route such as tympanic or axillary. Measurement of the oral temperature is not recommended for individuals who are unconscious, unresponsive, confused, have an endotracheal tube secured in the mouth, and cannot follow instructions.Ĭertain factors render the oral route less accurate with the potential for falsely high or falsely low findings. Healthcare providers often measure the oral temperature, particularly when the client is conscious and can follow directions. What should the healthcare provider consider? If so, discard the probe cover and re-insert the probe into the device to reset it. Sometimes the device will turn off after you take the probe out of the device if you take too long to put the probe cover on or insert it in the client’s mouth. You need to ensure that it snaps onto the probe.
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