Rectal temp to check for heat stress

Dose any one check their or another persons rectal temp for heat related issues?

I've never done that with a human, but would be more than willing if the particular situation called for it. As a vet tech, we use this method all the time on animals, especially dogs because they don't sweat and the symptoms of heat stroke don't show themselves until it's almost too late.

LadyDoc

In terms of getting an accurate temp, yes a rectal temp should be used in those situations (usually the person is panting or sweating profusely - showing signs of distress), however if the person is in distress, your immediate response shouldn't be getting a temperature, but helping them cool themselves down by getting them into shaded areas, and providing fans and helping them gradually cool down. Cool them down too quick and you run the risk of promoting hypothermia from the body's inability to regulate its own temperature.

A research study (two actually, did another one shortly after that was similar...) that I helped out with was measuring heat stress.

I had to first be weighed in just my underwear behind a screen, and then put on some sports clothes with lots of zips all over it. I then was led through to another room, and I had to squat and insert a temperature monitor into my rectum - it was a plastic tube about 7mm thick and 12cm long. I then had to walk back (which felt really strange!) and then sit on an exam table, and the clothes were unzipped around me, leaving me first with bare legs up to my boxers, and then shirtless (and really nervous, I've always been shy about my skinny body) while about 15 different sensors were taped and glued onto my body on my chest, legs, arms and back.

I then had to sit still for 20 minutes, all the while with a wire coming out my ass from the temperature logger, and then run on a treadmill for 30 minutes.

Once I was done, hot and sweaty, I had to take off the sports clothing again so that the sensors could be taken off my skin (which hurt! thank god I've got next to no body hair so I'm smooth rather than hairy or it'd have hurt a lot more!), before I could go to the prep room again and take out the temperature probe.

The other research that I did was similar, except in the prep room, I both had to put in the thermometer, and have sensors stuck to me, and have areas marked off all over my chest and back in pen. I then had to walk in just my boxer shorts, with all the sensors attached, past other people in the department, and go on a cycle machine.

The whole experience was interesting, to say the least... 😃 If you view my posts I've written it up fully, but happy to answer questions 😜

I've taken a rectal temperature on at least one person that I know of who collapsed with a heat stroke. Several years ago we had a 14 year old boy that was rushed into our ER after collapsing during football practice, and I and one other nurse had to get his vitals. Rule of thumb is that you need to measure the core body temperature on a patient with heat related injury, and of course the quickest method to do this is rectally. Poor kid was too weak and sick and delirious to protest and I'm sure it was uncomfortable, but it was quick. He was lucky to make it through that heat stroke because it was severe...(106.2F).

I've never done that. But it's a very real requirement. In basic training in the US military, if someone collapses during training with signs of obvious heat stress/stroke, a rectal temp is always taken.

Nikki, my wife has also seen rectal temperatures taken on heat stroke victims in the ER. She's never had to do yet on a patient, but some of the other nurses have, and had a time getting a rectal reading on some patients. She said the ones that aren't out of it or incapacitated tend to put up a struggle, and some even get combative. Other's are too weak or delirious to even care. She said little children tend to hate it especially much. But it's understandable, who want's to have a probe stuck up their butt in front of a bunch of strangers, especially if you're miserable and nauseous from getting too hot. But on the other hand like you said, it's imperative to get a core temperature reading, and a the up the butt route is the quickest way to obtain this.

Been their, done that. No thank you, you can keep a Heat Stroke! 😮 Trust me its no fun waking up packed in ice with all kinds of stuff attached to your body and stuck in it, not knowing where you are or how you got their. Not being able to talk your keep the thought you just had long enough to make since of anything. It took a long time for me to even be able to ask what happened and where I was at. It also took a a long time for my temp to level its self out, a couple of months. But yes they do take a Core Temp, and the Hospitial I was at had a Sensor that went up your but and read it in real time on a monitor. It wasn't till I was feeling a lot better that I even cared what they did or how they did it. But I will never forget waking up naked packed in ice looking up at the lights in the ceiling and that feeling of total helplessness.

I’ve never done this

When I was working trauma we did it when they would bring someone in for heat related issues. That was ten years ago. Two things. It gave a core temp. Also people sometimes will have a seizure and you do not want a thermometer in the persons mouth of any kind. They may use forehead or tympanic ones now. But that is how we did it.