What kind of thermometers should be used?
Digital thermometers are very fast and convenient but can easily become inaccurate from: • dropping them from 4 inches or more • low batteries • exposure to water or humidity When they become inaccurate they can still give a reading, it just won’t be right. There’s no way of knowing whether the reading is correct or not. Sometimes, a digital thermometer will show one reading one minute and another the next. Mercury Thermometers are very consistent and they hold their readings. If patients are too busy to read their thermometers (while driving, for example) when it’s time, they can take the thermometers out and read them later. Mercury thermometers can take longer (it’s good to leave them in for around 7 minutes). They are also being phased out of the market because of environmental legislation and are becoming harder and harder to find. The concern is that when the thermometers are broken the liquid spills out and some mercury vapor gets into the atmosphere, finding its way into the fo
