Braun ThermoScan Ear Thermometer easy to use?

HappySad

Is the "Braun ThermoScan Ear Thermometer" any good & easy to use?

Boots has it on special offer with 25% off...
http://www.boots.com/shop/product_details.jsp?productid=1002670

shykins

i have had one since little un was a baby .. hes now 9 and i find it very useful... we use it on us as well as him

u have to put it fairly firmly into ear to get a proper reading

for a little un its much easier then trying to get a reading from a mouth thermometer etc
HTH

SammyD_2

I have had one of these for a couple of years (since baby 1 came along) - I find it difficult to use, and always use a digital thermometer as well (ie a traditional "under the arm" jobby but with a digital reading). The probe is quite big, so it is a bit fiddly to get in the ear of a wriggling baby especially while performing the required "ear tug" as well so I find it usually reads too low. If your children are older you might find it more useful than I do at the moment. (I write having spent the afternoon taking both children's temperatures three times, so maybe I am just fed up!)

My sister in law was told by her doctor to use it as a guide only, and use a traditional thermometer for accuracy. But then my GP only uses a Braun ear thermometer!

SammyD_2

Should have added to my previous post that it does have a light and a memory function, both of which are very useful at 3 in the morning.

HappySad

SammyD wrote:

My sister in law was told by her doctor to use it as a guide only, and use a traditional thermometer for accuracy. But then my GP only uses a Braun ear thermometer!

Are you saying that her doctor said to use the digital themometer as a guide. I thought this was so for a digital themometer that looks like the traditional ones and not the digital themometer that I had listed in my above thread.

By traditional themometer does her doctor mean the mercury one?

HappySad

http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/chq.asp?Classid=30&Articleid=1065

It says that ear themometers are the most accurate and the the digital themometers are less accurate. Some ear themeometers might not be suitable for young babies so check the make.

mumof3_2

I agree with the previous post. I'm a Practice Nurse and all the research suggests that ear temperature is more accurate than oral temperature. Mercury thermometers are no longer recommended because of the risk of mercury poisoning should they be bitten and break.

I've used a Braun thermoscan on all 3 of my children and use it daily at work, I find it really easy to use, but the main advantage is that it gives an almost instant reading rather than having to wait for the recommended 2-3 minutes in the mouth or under the arm.

It's important to realise though, that the body's core temperture in the ear is generally higher than in the mouth or under the arm, so read the instruction leaflet carefully which tells you 'normal' readings - I was convinved we were all coming down with something nasty when I first got it as the reading always appeared to be raised!

SammyD is absolutely right that all thermometers should only be used as a guide, not everyone will get a temp if they are unwell. If your insitincts are telling you that something is wrong always seek further advice.

doorstep

Like Shykins, I use ours on the whole family.

My DD hated it at first though, and even the sight of it would send her into a panic. We got round this by testing the temperature of everything (all of her dolls and teddies as well as the whole family!). This seemed to do the trick - she loves it now!!

mspig

The problem i found with the ear thermometor is that my children are 4mths, 2 and 9 and whilst with the older ones it works fine, the thermometor won't fit in my babies ears so i have now had to buy another one.

Also when i had to ring NHS direct for one of my children they asked for a temperature, which i gave them, they then asked what kind of thermometor i had used and i told them the in ear one. They then said they would have to deduct some as the thermometor does not measure accurately. But i always thought that it was the most accurate thermometor?

[Deleted User]

I have one but don't like it because it gives ma a different reading every time!!