INDICATIONS OF THE DRUG.
Thermometers for measuring temperature are precision instruments. Measurement results are accurate when the instrument is used correctly in accordance with this manual.
MODE OF APPLICATION.
Thermometers for measuring temperature are precision instruments. Measurement results are accurate when the instrument is used correctly in accordance with this manual. Take the thermometer by the upper end and lower it with the reservoir down. Shake the thermometer with your hand so that the meniscus of the mercury column is below the digital mark of 35.5°C on the scale. Place the thermometer with the reservoir in the center of the person’s armpit/groin and press with your hand/foot to fix the thermometer. Avoid applying strong pressure to the thermometer. In weakened patients, it is necessary to hold your hand when measuring temperature. Hold the thermometer for about 5 minutes. Remove the thermometer from the armpit/groin and read the temperature on the scale. The temperature measurement method is suitable for infants and young children. When measuring temperature in children, it is recommended to fix the thermometer in the armpit/groin, holding the child's hand by the forearm or leg by the thigh. This procedure must be performed for each temperature measurement. After taking a bath or shower, you should delay taking your temperature for 30 minutes. In the event of an unexpected increase or decrease in temperature, it is recommended to repeat the measurement several times at short intervals. It is recommended to measure the temperature 2 times a day: at 7-8 a.m. and 5-7 p.m. Record the time and measurement results so that you can show them to your doctor if necessary. After use, the thermometer must be disinfected: in domestic conditions - wash warm water with soap.
Special instructions: ATTENTION!
The thermometer contains mercury! Mercury outside the thermometer is dangerous! A rupture of the mercury column in the capillary tube above the mercury reservoir is not a defect; it is typical for thermometers with a maximum device. Handle the thermometer very carefully: do not drop it, do not overheat. Broken thermometers are special waste and must be disposed of in accordance with certain rules and regulations. If the thermometer breaks, try to stay in this room as little as possible. If you come into direct contact with mercury or if you suspect you have inhaled its vapor, it is recommended to consult a doctor. Collect thermometer fragments only with protective gloves. Broken thermometer and its fragments should be temporarily stored in a closed container with water, and then handed over to an organization involved in the collection and disposal of such waste. Mercury collection must be carried out by the appropriate security service environment in accordance with current regulations.
Every person is familiar with this measuring equipment like a thermometer. It is used to control the temperature level. For example, during illness or when tracking the day of ovulation in women. Therefore, you should always be at home. Electronic thermometers are replacing mercury thermometers. Before you buy this equipment, it is necessary to consider all its positive and negative qualities, as well as features of measuring temperature in the armpit, rectally, and in the mouth.
Mercury and electronic thermometer
Modern thermometers are distinguished by the presence of a special sensor, which is located on the narrow part of the thermometer. After the temperature measurement is completed, the result will be displayed on the display in the form of numbers. Therefore, the second name of the device is a digital thermometer.
When choosing an electronic device, you should pay attention to its strengths and weak sides. Positive qualities include:
The market is filled with various medical thermometers that can be equipped with additional functions. The most popular and popular include:
So that little children are not afraid to measure their temperature, manufacturers have developed special thermometers. They appear to be shaped like toys or painted in bright colors. For newborns, you can purchase nipple-shaped thermometers. They greatly simplify the temperature measurement procedure.
Baby thermometers
Besides positive qualities the equipment also has several negative points. Among them:
In addition, when purchasing a device for a newborn, remember that it can only be used until the first teeth appear.
To ensure that the data is as accurate and correct as possible, it is imperative to follow all the manufacturer’s instructions and advice, which are indicated on the equipment packaging and in the attached instructions.
Package
To get the correct data, you need to use the equipment correctly. In this case, you should follow some rules:
Batteries also affect the correct temperature measurement. Typically one set lasts from 2 to 5 years. As they begin to set, the thermometer may begin to show body temperature incorrectly. Therefore, it is recommended to change batteries regularly.
Electronic thermometer battery
There are several ways you can use an electronic thermometer:
Using an electronic thermometer is not only much more convenient, but also safer. If the temperature is measured in the mouth or armpit, the algorithm of actions is practically no different from using a mercury thermometer. But there are also specific features. First of all, these include the time after which an accurate result can be obtained. It depends on the type of thermometer, as well as on the manufacturer. Usually there are instructions for this, which indicate how long it takes to see the result. For most models, this period of time ranges from 30 seconds to 1 minute. But in practice, things happen a little differently. If measurements are taken in the armpit area, then after the sound signal you must wait about 2-3 minutes without taking out the thermometer. Only after this period can the result be assessed.
Medicine appeared a very, very long time ago. It is constantly progressing, developing, scientists and doctors are gaining more and more new knowledge, using it in practice and ultimately saving lives and curing people from serious illnesses.
However, many centuries ago medicine was rather poorly developed; what today seems like a trivial sore to us used to be fatal disease, even the same cold.
In contact with
The doctors had the most basic understanding of the human structure, the structure of the body, and even less knowledge about various human vulnerabilities, so doctors did not perform operations or other complex procedures. They simply did not know how to treat only the most primitive infections, and even then, not always successfully.
Nevertheless, as mentioned earlier, medicine developed, various drugs began to appear, more and more new diseases were studied, and drugs for them appeared and were developed, mortality decreased, and some viruses completely disappeared.
Along with medicine, such a branch of social life as science also developed, and it is not surprising that science also had something to do with medicine itself, to develop some kind of device for a physicist or to obtain information about a new virus for a biologist, to create a new medicine for a chemist, these are the main problems that scientists have been solving and continue to solve to this day.
Undoubtedly, scientists have made a huge contribution to the development of medicine, found cures for many diseases, provided us with the opportunity to quickly diagnose this disease and begin treatment, the immune system has strengthened, and now it is not so easy for diseases to attack our body.
Improvements and innovations consist not only in the development of new drugs and other drugs that can protect and preserve our body, but also in devices that can diagnose any disease, in the latest electronic devices, which will significantly speed up the recovery process and the treatment itself, will do all the most difficult and painstaking work for us.
Moreover, absolutely all branches of medicine are now being improved; we don’t need to guess what’s inside a person, what interferes and complicates his life, we can simply turn to high technology and perform an X-ray. Doctors do not need to perform complex cardiac massage; they can simply use more effective method- defibrillator. And even with such little things as a thermometer, we no longer need to bother and wait a certain period of time, sitting in an uncomfortable position with a thermometer under our armpit, we can use an electronic thermometer.
People have improved even such a small thing as a thermometer without much difficulty; an electronic thermometer is superior to a mercury thermometer in almost all respects.
The first thing to note is the mercury itself in the thermometer. Everyone knows that such a thermometer can break and mercury will leak out. It, in turn, is toxic, and there is a risk of harm if measures are not taken in time. Of course, everyone is accustomed to handling such thermometers with care and always monitoring their use, but there is always a small chance of problems arising, if parents do not keep an eye on the child who breaks the thermometer, and are not even aware of the toxicity of mercury, such a scenario can have very serious consequences. sad consequences. Which, fortunately, cannot be said about an electronic thermometer.
electronic thermometer
Electronics in pure form has not yet poisoned or killed anyone, even if you break such a thermometer, and this is difficult to do due to the durable plastic case, then in any case no mercury will leak out of it and no one will suffer from such a breakdown, which is good news , that is, the electronic thermometer is absolutely safe for use by both adults and children.
The second advantage, as well as the difference between an electronic thermometer and a conventional mercury thermometer, is the speed of temperature measurement, and this is the main purpose of a thermometer, to accurately and quickly measure temperature. To get an accurate result from the well-known mercury thermometer, you will have to wait about 10 minutes, then the mercury will heat up to body temperature, rise and, finally, show us the exact result.
In turn, an electronic thermometer carries out the same procedure much faster, you do not need to wait for any length of time, be careful and take your time, you only need to turn on the thermometer and the most ordinary, in a known way measure the temperature, the thermometer gives the result immediately, which will subsequently speed up the decision-making process on what to do next, give medicine to the patient, call an ambulance. It will be possible to make a decision much faster than in the 10 minutes that are required to obtain a result from a mercury thermometer.
But, if in the case of a mercury thermometer everyone knows how to use it, then for an electronic thermometer there are certain rules of use and instructions for use.
It is important to understand that electronic thermometers show measurement results on a special display, have a sound signal that notifies you of the completion of the temperature measurement procedure, automatically turn off and, as mentioned earlier, do not beat. But measurements have their own subtleties.
First, you need to prepare the device for use, you need to wipe it, press the power button, and wait, the sensor needs time to calibrate and return to normal. Symbols such as: Lo and C will typically flash on the display. It is also important to note that when high temperature air in the room, the sensor will show exactly this; it records the temperature from 32 degrees and above.
Advantages of a thermometer:
Flaws:
Well B thermometer
How to measure temperature correctly with an electronic thermometer? As they say, in the old fashioned way it is customary to place the device under the left armpit or right hand and measure the temperature. However, it is believed that measuring temperature by placing a thermometer in the patient’s mouth, that is, oral, is much more effective, it is more accurate and, importantly, faster. It is necessary to place the thermometer on the side under the tongue. Of course, while pacification is being carried out, you cannot move, open your mouth, and, especially, talk.
Measurements are taken within one minute. The thermometer will beep when the procedure is complete and notify you of the result.
But indeed, you can measure the temperature in the so-called armpit; this method is called axillary. It is important that when measuring temperature in this way, the axillary area should be dry, moisture there should not be, so before taking measurements, wipe your skin with a dry cloth. Next, place the device in the center of the armpit and, for closer contact of the sensor with the skin, press your hand as tightly as possible to the body and hold it in this position until the end of the temperature measurement.
The measurement time in this way varies from 1.5 to 2 minutes. However, after the sound signal it is worth holding the thermometer for some more time, this is due to the fact that the temperature in this zone is half a degree lower than under the tongue.
To measure the temperature correctly you need to follow the well b instructions
Rectal temperature measurement is also acceptable. It is performed only with the permission of the doctor or if any other is not available. When measuring rectally, the thermometer sensor is inserted into the anus 1.5–2 cm. The measurement time is also 1 minute, no more.
This method is usually used to measure temperature in infants. A special thermometer is used for this. for measuring rectal temperature. It differs from the usual one in its short and rounded end, which makes its use safe and, most importantly, painless. A regular thermometer is also suitable for this procedure, but for safety reasons you should use a special thermometer that is separate from the others.
In the case of a mercury thermometer, you would carefully need to shake off the temperature, but with an electronic one you just need to turn it on and, if necessary, lubricate it a small amount cream for better glide.
You should also remember about the technical side of the device, for example, about batteries. On average, batteries last about 2 years, after which they should be replaced, otherwise they will begin to “lie” and the thermometer will show an incorrect measurement result.
The thermometer comes with a plastic case; after measuring the temperature, you need to wipe the thermometer with a napkin, preferably alcohol, and place it in the case.
Many have noticed that sometimes an electronic thermometer can make mistakes, resulting in an error. But this is not such a serious problem. Firstly, so that there is no error or it is as small as possible, you should buy a cheaper thermometer. A high price does not always indicate good quality, there should not be too many parts on the thermometer. The error, if any, can average from 0.3 to 0.8 degrees. Although there are rumors that an electronic thermometer shows a temperature lower than a mercury thermometer, with all this, the accuracy is good and you can measure the temperature with it, the measurements are correct.
That's all the information about the types and methods of using thermometers. Technology will make our lives easier and medicine will make it easier electronic thermometers is no exception, however, it will be better if you don’t have to use any of the existing thermometers at all. But if the need arises, you know what and how to do in order to measure body temperature correctly, knowing the instructions.
A mercury thermometer is a thin capillary tube sealed on both sides, from which air has been pumped out. At the lower end of this tube there is a reservoir filled with mercury. On the plate to which the tube is attached there is a scale with divisions from 34 to 42 degrees Celsius. Each degree is divided into 10 smaller divisions of 0.1 0 C
Medical thermometer maximum differs from a conventional mercury thermometer in that the lumen at the junction of the capillary tube into the mercury reservoir is narrowed and curved, which makes it difficult for the mercury to move in this elbow. Therefore, when heated, mercury slower reaches its maximum level, but after heating stops, the mercury column does not fall by itself, but continues to show the maximum number on the temperature scale to which it has reached. Therefore, such a thermometer is called maximum. In order for the mercury column to fall back into the reservoir, the mercury thermometer must be shaken.
A mercury thermometer remains the most common device for measuring body temperature.
It is for this reason that a mercury thermometer for measuring body temperature is prohibited in some countries. The ban also applies to room thermometers, barometers and measuring instruments blood pressure. This measure allows us to significantly reduce the amount of toxic mercury released into the environment with garbage.
Mercury is a liquid with a silver-metallic sheen that begins to evaporate at temperatures of +18°C and above. If a thermometer breaks, then upon impact the mercury breaks into small drops and disperses throughout the room, easily penetrating cracks in floors, into crevices under baseboards, and getting stuck in the pile of carpets. Gradually evaporating, it poisons the air in the room. Long-term intake of small amounts of mercury leads to chronic mercury intoxication, which can manifest itself as dermatitis, stomatitis, salivation, metallic taste in the mouth, diarrhea, anemia, headaches, tremors of the limbs, and kidney damage.
Laboratory data are of particular importance in the diagnosis of mercury poisoning. Excretion of more than 0.3 mg/l of mercury in the urine indicates the possibility of mercury intoxication.
What to do if a mercury thermometer breaks? - about measures aimed at decontaminating mercury (demercurization).
Before each measurement, you must inspect the mercury thermometer to make sure that the mercury column is below 35 0 C. If it is higher, then it must be shaken off.
Shaking off produced as follows: capturing top part thermometer into the fist so that the head rests on the palm, the reservoir with mercury looks down, and the middle of the thermometer is between the large and index fingers you need to forcefully lower your arm down several times with a jerky movement at the elbow joint, making a sudden stop.
After use, the mercury thermometer is disinfected. Never wash a mercury thermometer with hot water.
So, yesterday we started discussing the dangers of mercury and the problem of a broken mercury thermometer. The most important question remains unclear to us - what to do if the thermometer breaks, what should be the algorithm of action in this case? Where should you go if you have a problem like this and where should you put the remains of a broken device? Let's figure it out step by step.
Where to begin?
In general, according to the rules of all emergency textbooks, if residential or public areas become infected with hazardous substances of the first hazard class, it is necessary to immediately contact the Ministry of Emergency Situations, which must eliminate the consequences of the accident. But many already know from practice that sometimes the Ministry of Emergency Situations or special institutions for the disposal of hazardous waste simply cannot be reached by phone, and they will not be in a hurry to come to you urgently to collect mercury from thermometers. Therefore, if you are panicking, you can call the “01” service and get advice on how to properly clean mercury in your apartment. Experts will definitely give you a lot practical advice and instructions, in addition, most likely you will be given the address of the enterprise where you will need to hand over hazardous waste for disposal - collected mercury and the remains of a thermometer.
Special situations
You should not think about how to collect mercury yourself in cases where there are special conditions– then you need to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Mercury instantly boils and evaporates at a temperature of +40 degrees Celsius, and if it gets on a heating radiator or heater. It will evaporate almost instantly, polluting the entire air in the room. Also, you should not collect mercury yourself in children's institutions, which are closed and very poorly ventilated, while very warm rooms, especially in summer or during the heating season. It is also prohibited for people at particular risk of mercury poisoning to clean up mercury.
This group of people includes:
Pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy, since mercury easily penetrates the placenta and can harm the fetus;
- children and adolescents under the age of 18, since mercury can negatively affect the processes of growth and development;
- elderly people over 65 years of age due to slow metabolism and extremely slow removal of mercury from the body;
- patients with liver and kidney damage, diseases of the central nervous system, weakened and often and for a long time ill.
All these people, if the air is contaminated with mercury, must be immediately removed from the room, and disinfection of all surfaces and air in the room (demercurization) must begin.
How to reassemble a broken thermometer
Of course, we told you that mercury is a dangerous substance, and often breaking a thermometer in their own home, many are afraid of instant poisoning and make too many unnecessary movements. Collecting mercury balls from a broken thermometer is difficult, especially if your hands are shaking with fear. But the other extreme is also very common: people do not attach any importance to the fact that they broke the thermometer, carelessly sweep the mercury into a dustpan with a broom and throw it in the trash can, which remains in the apartment for several days.
With this phenomenon, numerous mercury balls remain in the home for a long time, and poison the air in the room with their gradually evaporating vapors. And then they wonder - why do we start getting sick so often, why does the child’s stomach get upset, vomit, is lethargic or excited, and why do our own heads simply split from pain? Probably the weather has an effect! And the mercury evaporates and evaporates from the corners, destroying the kidneys and liver. Therefore, if you drop a mercury thermometer and it breaks, you should not panic, but you also cannot ignore the rules for collecting mercury and demercurizing the premises. It is worth following the accepted algorithm for removing mercury from an apartment or house.
So what should we do?
Carefully inspect the dropped thermometer without lifting it from the floor. There may be a crack in it and the scale is broken - this is the best option. If you suspect that it is completely broken, do not pick it up from the floor, especially with your bare hands, without prior preparation. Take any sealed glass vessel - better than a jar with a lid, and carefully so as not to allow the mercury to leak out, place the cracked thermometer in the jar. To be extra safe, you can fill the jar first. ice water. Do not throw away this jar with a thermometer like regular garbage in a trash can or garbage disposal. Contact the Ministry of Emergency Situations or type in a search engine - we have two recycling enterprises in our city, I think there are them in your city too, I found a portal on the Internet - kudagradusnik.ru, it contains the addresses of recycling enterprises by city.
If the thermometer fell, broke, and mercury leaked out of it, you will need to carefully collect it and clean the room. Where to start? First of all, immediately remove all its occupants, including pets and birds, from the room where the accident occurred. Firstly, no one will breathe mercury vapor, and secondly, mercury will not be spread throughout the house on their legs and paws. Close the door tightly, if there are cracks under the doors, tuck them with a wet rag soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate, open the windows or turn on the split system at full power to create at least 16-17 degrees or lower in the room. At this temperature, mercury rolls into balls and does not evaporate.
To protect your respiratory system and inhale less mercury, put on a gauze or medical mask, placing several layers of damp gauze under it, moistened with manganese or soda solution. Experts advise working in synthetic clothing, as it is less breathable and prevents mercury vapor from actively circulating to the body. If mercury gets on your clothes, you will have to throw them away, since it will be impossible to clean them, so wear old, unusable clothes. Before collecting mercury, put on thick rubber gloves and shoe covers or bags on your feet to protect your skin and shoes. All things that were in contact with mercury are then tied up in a tight bag after collection and handed over along with the thermometer and mercury.
Collecting mercury from the floor
Fill the jar cold water and place it next to you, mercury sinks in water and slows down evaporation. Take two sheets of paper, a brush and cotton wool, tape or adhesive tape, a flashlight or lamp, a medical bulb or a syringe with a thick needle, and a knitting needle. Roll the mercury balls into a large ball using two sheets of paper and place them in a jar; you can brush them with a soft brush or cotton wool. Stick small balls on pieces of tape or plaster and throw them into a jar, use a flashlight or lamp to illuminate the floors from the side, the mercury balls will be reflected in the transmitted light and you can collect them all. Inspect the cracks of the floor and baseboard especially carefully; if mercury has rolled under the baseboard, you need to lift it and carefully collect everything. It is convenient to collect mercury from cracks with a bulb or syringe, sucking them inside, or with a knitting needle, since mercury sticks to metals.
If the collection is not quick, every 10-15 minutes go out into the air to breathe and drink plenty of liquid, and in a hot room above +25-30 degrees, staying in the room at the same time is a maximum of 7-10 minutes. When leaving an infected room, remove the bags or shoe covers from your feet and throw them into a bag for disposal. After carefully collecting all the mercury balls, close the jar tightly and take it out into the cold, in non-residential premises(balcony, garage, outside, out of reach of children and other persons). We wash the floors with a strong solution of potassium permanganate or bleach and soda solution several times. A rag - in a bag for disposal. Thoroughly spray the cracks in the floor with this solution from a spray bottle and leave for at least a day to neutralize tiny particles mercury invisible to the eye.
When mercury spills from a thermometer, certain actions are strictly prohibited:
Ventilate the premises with a draft, then balls of mercury will roll throughout the house, and toxic fumes will spread throughout all rooms;
- you cannot sweep away mercury with a broom - the balls will crush into fine dust, stick to the rods and lift the mercury into the air, contaminating everything in the path of sweeping;
- you cannot use a vacuum cleaner, as you will transfer the heat and spray the mercury into an aerosol and get poisoned. After this, the vacuum cleaner will be hopelessly poisoned with mercury and can only be disposed of;
- wash items that have been exposed to mercury washing machine, these things are for recycling only;
- drain mercury balls from sewers and pipes. Mercury will stick to the pipes and will poison the atmosphere for you and your neighbors for a long time;
- you cannot throw mercury and a thermometer into the garbage chute, burn it, or bury it.
If mercury gets on fabrics, furniture or wooden surfaces? Wood can be treated with the solutions described above, but it is better to throw away carpets, fabrics and toys. If this cannot be done in any way, they need to be placed in the sun for at least a month, the mercury will gradually evaporate and disappear, but no one knows how completely. You cannot wash, soak in solutions or treat them - whiteness and potassium permanganate will ruin things, therefore, there is little choice here. In any case, mercury can remain on carpets and fabrics for a long time - these things will be dangerous.
