Oral/Rectal Probes

I took my son to the ER the other night with a double ear infection. He was so irritable. Luckily we got seen quick. The girl in triage called us back. My son's only 3, and she wanted to take his temperature rectally. My heart skipped a beat because I knew he'd really start crying if she did that to him. I dreaded having to calm him back down after going through the uncomfortable ordeal of getting a probe stuck up his butt. She couldn't use the ear thermometer, so I asked her to take it my mouth. She agreed as long as he could keep it under his tongue with his mouth closed. My wife has had some success doing it orally, so the nurse attempted it. He did fabulous. I coached him along, but he kept still and quiet the whole time. One of the things I noticed while she took his temperature was a digital thermometer on the counter with both oral and rectal probes side by side. Is that a normal occurrence in hospitals? It doesn't seem sanitary. Our Dr's office only has single probe units, oral(blue) or rectal (red). Perhaps disposable probe covers suffice. I just don't think I'd want a probe in my mouth that's been right beside another one that's been stuck up countless butts.

I don't think that you need to be worried. Unless you're talking about a hospital or clinic in some third-world country, the U.S. isn't a place that you would likely find unsanitary conditions. I've had my oral temp. taken numerous times in the E.R., with no concerns. You would be more likely to contract an infection from a thermometer in a private home.

I agree with @Enemazed

I can see why it would be an issue. You may be thinking of the Welch-Allyn hospital/clinic model. To be honest, very little of the disposable probe cover comes in contact with the patient’s rectum. The probes and their covers are made kind of long for a reason, to minimize contact with the body as much as possible. It only goes in the rectum a little over an inch. We don’t take rectal temperatures on adults that often, but we have dedicated IVAC units just for that purpose. Usually someone at the supply desk puts one of those stamped ribbon labels “RECTAL” on it, and they’re kept put up until needed. We’re actually having trouble with things getting stolen. An IVAC costs the hospital about $300 a pop at wholesale price, so they’re not cheap. Our oral units don’t walk off so easy because they’re kept in constant use. But you don’t have anything to worry about, as for sanitary methods with thermometers.

When I was age 11, I had to go to the ER with a fish hook stuck in my leg and before being called to the back, my pulse, blood pressure, and temperature were done. The oral temperature prob is what was used of course; the oral temperature process was done less than 2 minutes. I did not know much about rectal temperatures until I got older.

The couple times i have gone to the emergency room they had two separate one's. One marked oral and one marked rectal. Actually the oral one is marked oral/axillary which is under the arm i think.

The oral probes are blue and I saw one when I was visiting a patient in the hospital. The nurse came in with this cool machine and it had a computer on it and it had the blue probe on it and it only took about less that 10 seconds to read the person's temperature. I did not see a red probe for rectal at all. The nurse showed me the machine. Too cool.

I had a rectal taken by a nurse in an urgent care when I had a terrible headache and was throwing up. I just got a quick glance, but I think it was an IVAC unit, the probe had a red cap. I assume there was a probe cover. The nurse put her hand on my hip and said she needed to take my rectal temperature. Was that OK? Is everyone this nice in Minnesota? She slid my panties down and took it so fast and I hardly felt anything. A few minutes later the same nurse gave me a shot of what she called a "migraine cocktail" in my hip that really hurt, and she apologized. They had a room where they let me sleep for most of the afternoon. My husband said the nurse took a rectal again before they released me, but I don't remember that. We were on vacation at the time, and I will always remember how nice the people in Minnesota are.