Body temperature is one of the four main vital signs that must be monitored to ensure safe and effective care. The journal of perioperative nursing.
Body Temperature Normal Ranges In Adults And Children
Body temperature measurement in nursing. When you are too hot the blood vessels in your skin widen to carry the excess heat to your skins surface. Davie a amoore j 2010 best practice in the measurement of body temperaturenursing standard. You may start to sweat. The definition of normal body temperature as 37c was. Sund levander m grodzinsky e 2010 what is the evidence base for the assessment and evaluation of body temperaturenursing times. How this article could be used to provide information to patients about temperature measurements.
Nursing standard 2442 42 49. The article provides an insight into commonly used clinical thermometers how they determine each temperature reading and crucially how users affect the measurement process. Brooker c nicol m eds alexanders nursing practiceoxford. 1 early online publication. In clinical practice measurement and management of body temperature is often based on tradition and personal ideas and beliefs rather than evidence based knowledge. Temperature control thermoregulation is part of a homeostatic mechanism that keeps the organism at optimum operating temperature as the temperature affects the rate of chemical reactionsin humans the average internal temperature is 370 c 986 f though it varies around this point by 05 to 1 c.
An overview of perioperative care for paediatric patients. Assessment of body temperature is important for decisions in nursing care medical diagnosis treatment and the need of laboratory tests. However no person always has exactly the same temperature at every moment of the day. Childs c 2011 maintaining body temperaturein. How reading this article will change your practice in measuring patients temperature. Best practice in the measurement of body temperature.
Temperature measurement is recommended by the national institute of clinical excellence a part of the initial assessment in acute illness in adults nice. Body temperature is a measure of your bodys ability to make and get rid of heat. Bridges e thomas k 2009 noninvasive measurement of body temperature in critically ill patientscritical care nurse. Since then the technical design and the accuracy of thermomet. The body is very good at keeping its temperature within a safe range even when temperatures outside the body change a lot. Assessment of body temperature is important for decisions in nursing care medical diagnosis treatment and the need of laboratory tests.
The definition of normal body temperature as 37c was established in the middle of the 19th century.