Thermometers

RE: Thermometers

Wren — Mon, 21 Dec 2015 11:38:01 GMT

I have been using the same (mercury) thermometer continuously for 7 or 8 years and am frankly dreading the day I lose or drop it. And I hate Celsius! When a client rings in the night to tell me that their horse's temperature is X Celsius I almost always have to consult a crib sheet. Quite embarrassing considering I only deal with one species.

RE: Thermometers

Rob Loxley — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 00:06:11 GMT

If they are wildly different you need a better one, the BS for digital requires +/-0.1C max

[quote user="patrick murphy"] Does anyone have the 'knowledge' re. Thermometers ? [/quote]

http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/Documents/443/MHRA_04144%20Thermometer%20Review%20UK%20Market%20Survey%202005.pdf

We've always got on with the MSR 10 second digital thermometers from Proact medical http://www.shop.proactmedical.co.uk/MSR-10-Second-Digital-Thermometer-(Flexible)/858.htm

RE: Thermometers

Clive Ansell — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 14:11:48 GMT

If one wants to be pedantic, should we not be using the SI unit for temperature which is the Kelvin (K) 0c = 273k. each degree unit has the same magnitude, so easy really

RE: Thermometers

Michael Woodhouse — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 13:39:20 GMT

I don't think there is any clinical difference in Celsius or Fahrenheit for temperature. I will jump from one to the other quite happily. Whilst I appreciate the Fahrenheit degrees are smaller, when has 0.2 of a degree ever made a real difference?

RE: Thermometers

Claudia Niehoegen — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 12:41:51 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]Fahrenheit is the better scale by far for body temperatures.[/quote]

I've always worked in F and do not think in C although I trained in C ! Our digital thermometer is in C, so I have to then "translate" by looking at the mercury thermometer while pretending to do it for the benefit of the owners... Shaking down thermometers gave me tennis elbow. Was I glad when digital once arrived!

Our nurses "do" animal weights in kg and human weights in lbs.

For those who insist on lbs I like to "help" how long a bag of dog food lasts: for your 1st2lbs dog it's 5 and 3/8 ounces a day. The 10kg bag is -mumble times 2 plus 10%- 22lbs. So you should be able to work it out from that.

RE: Thermometers

Martin Atkinson — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 10:29:44 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]Fahrenheit is the better scale by far for body temperatures.[/quote]For once I agree with you Evelyn much more subtle increments. Its odd that I couldn't tell you normal body temperature in centigrade but if you asked me the temperature outside today I couldn't tell you it in Fahrenheit! Equally I measure my height in feet and inches but my weight in kilograms. And I'm sure we all buy our petrol/diesel in litres but we measure economy in mpg. No wonder we can't decide if we should be in Europe or not.

RE: Thermometers

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 20:04:32 GMT

[quote user="Ashley Rubens"] I'll store it with the aureomycin powder and negasunt for now[/quote]

Fahrenheit is the better scale by far for body temperatures.

The day I'm forced to use Centigrade will be the day I retire.

RE: Thermometers

Ashley Rubens — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 18:32:48 GMT

It is... maybe I ought to keep it for a museum? I'll store it with the aureomycin powder and negasunt for now

RE: Thermometers

patrick murphy — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 15:33:20 GMT

I've always told clients that I use the time for mercury c.f. digital so that I can ask questions and try to figure out stuff.

RE: Thermometers

Bob Russell — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 09:36:22 GMT

I have a small stock of mercury ones that will be put up for auction should there be any left when I retire. They are wrapped up in 'cotton wool' and my language is blue if one gets broken. The glass non-mercury ones are as reliable as cheap aquarium thermometers.

Within limits the biothermo chips are great but I reserve the right (and do) take temperatures the traditional way. Not sure where the digital thermometers are but they don't seem any more consistent than any other thermometer.

RE: Thermometers

John Flynn — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 08:20:38 GMT

I use a "Beurer Express Flexi Tip Thermometer" like the one pictured here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beurer-Express-Flexi-Thermometer-Yellow/dp/B003ZDSQ0K/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1450340109&sr=8-16&keywords=beurer+thermometer

and can't imagine prefering a rigid rectal thermometer that takes 1-2 minutes to get a reading.

Have had my current one for 5 years I think.

RE: Thermometers

Francisco Gomez — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 07:00:31 GMT

I hate mercury filled vessels, in general, particularly when checking wriggly cats or dogs in the consultation room and being hold by less than confident owners.

My preference are digital thermometers that gives you a reading in 10-15 seconds, then only issue with these is that I tend to take a reading 3 times (pressing the button while still in contact). Otherwise it doesn't give enough time to reach to a temperature before beeping. But I still prefer them to those that take almost 2 minutes for a single reading.

RE: Thermometers

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 01:23:52 GMT

[quote user="Ashley Rubens"]I've got one left - sealed bids accepted![/quote]

Is it Fahrenheit?

RE: Thermometers

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 19:19:35 GMT

Is the difference not just due to the length of time you leave in there to stew?!

My digital thermometers consistently come up with textbook normal temperature for animals that I expect to be normal so I can't see an issue. But if my life depended on it I think I would trust a mercury thermometer first. Nothing electronic is ever dependable.

RE: Thermometers

patrick murphy — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 18:33:21 GMT

even my nurses got the bug today and started comparing the digital with the new blue filled glass thermometers and were getting differences of up to 1.5 degrees. I found a proper old mercury one in my horse kit, so will get on with that. am I the only one to have compared? I think 1 degree difference is quite a lot clinically. have even ordered new one of each to compare.would love your sealed mercury one.

RE: Thermometers

Ashley Rubens — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 18:27:34 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]

Jeepers.

"Analogue" is a proper thermometer, made of glass, with mercury inside.

I recently broke my last one and had to get a nasty digital one.

[/quote]

I've got one left - sealed bids accepted!

RE: Thermometers

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 18:23:03 GMT

Jeepers.

"Analogue" is a proper thermometer, made of glass, with mercury inside.

I recently broke my last one and had to get a nasty digital one.

RE: Thermometers

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 18:12:57 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]I don't think our practice owns a thermometer that is not digital.[/quote]So does analogue = mercury?, or are we talking rectal v bioThermo chip here?

RE: Thermometers

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 18:09:01 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]

Whats the difference between an analogue and digital thermometer?

[/quote]

I know the difference between a rectal and an oral thermometer.

(It's the taste......)

I don't think our practice owns a thermometer that is not digital. Buy boxes of them from JAK marketing fro £1 each. I lose many.

RE: Thermometers

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 17:02:38 GMT

Whats the difference between an analogue and digital thermometer?