Fever measurement of body temperature in fever

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Measurement of Body Temperature in Fever

When a patient has or is suspected of having a fever, that person’s body temperature is measured using thermometer. At a first glance, fever is present if:

Temperature in the anus (rectum/rectal) or in the ear (otic) is at or over 38.0°C (100.4°F)
Temperature in the mouth (oral) is at or over 37.5°C (99.5°F)
Temperature under the arm (axillary) is at or over 37.2°C (99.0°F)

Mother’s touch can diagnose fever among children according to a systematic review.^[1] The sensitivity was 89% and specificity was 50%.

References

↑ Teng CL, Ng CJ, Nik-Sherina H, Zailinawati AH, Tong SF (2008). “The accuracy of mother’s touch to detect fever in children: a systematic review”. J. Trop. Pediatr. 54 (1): 70–3. doi:10.1093/tropej/fmm077. PMID 18039678.

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[pmid18039678-1] Teng CL, Ng CJ, Nik-Sherina H, Zailinawati AH, Tong SF (2008). “The accuracy of mother’s touch to detect fever in children: a systematic review”. J. Trop. Pediatr. 54 (1): 70–3. doi:10.1093/tropej/fmm077. PMID 18039678.

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