Mercury thermometer is the most common thermometer in daily life.
We have mentioned in many articles: try not to use mercury thermometers, which are fragile and unsafe.
I often receive messages from my mother like this:
I also broke the mercury thermometer when I was a child, isn’t it okay?
Don’t many hospitals still use mercury thermometers?
Today, let’s talk about the danger of this mercury thermometer.
Accidentally, I broke the mercury thermometer.
J Hand Surg Asian Pac once published such a case:
A 42-year-old mother went to see a doctor and felt [foreign body sensation in her left index finger].
The doctor inquired about the medical history and learned that she accidentally broke the mercury thermometer when taking her daughter’s temperature a month ago. When cleaning up the thermometer fragments, the left finger was stabbed. At that time, she felt that there was no serious problem and did not see a doctor.
Doctors found granulation tissue in the patient’s left finger. After examining blood and urine, they found signs of mercury poisoning.
Not only is direct contact with mercury dangerous, but mercury exposure to the air is also harmful.
According to the project report on mercury-containing products and wastes in medical environment jointly carried out by China and the United States in 2007, after a mercury thermometer is broken, if all mercury evaporates, the mercury concentration in the air of a room with a size of 15m2 and a height of 3m can reach 22.2 mg/m3, which is higher than the maximum allowable concentration of 0.01 mg/m3 stipulated by the state.
Every year, there are countless cases of poisoning/injuries caused by the breakage of mercury thermometers.
Mercury thermometers that should have been eliminated long ago.
Mercury thermometers have long been eliminated internationally.
After the EU issued a decree in 2007, European countries have gradually replaced mercury thermometers with electronic thermometers.
Not only is mercury harmful to human health, but also mercury metal will cause great pollution to the environment.
China produces about 120 million mercury-containing thermometers every year, and more than 10 tons of mercury are treated as waste every year due to the breakage of mercury thermometers!
In 2013, the World Health Organization and relevant people launched an activity to eliminate mercury thermometers and sphygmomanometers using mercury by 2020.
Representatives of 92 countries and regions, including China, signed the Minamata Convention to jointly control and reduce global mercury emissions.
Why are mercury thermometers still in the hospital? Not because it is more accurate?
Electronic thermometers are as accurate as mercury thermometers when used correctly.
The hospital has not been completely replaced, or because of the cost performance.
Mercury thermometers, each with 1-7 pieces, have a large number of patients in the hospital and can be measured by hand at the same time.
However, the price of electronic thermometers is high, requiring more than a dozen or even dozens per thermometer. It is really a little difficult to have one person.
These thermometers are safer than mercury thermometers
What is used in hospitals, we cannot choose, but at least, we can choose safer temperature measurement products for our children.
At present, there are three kinds of electronic body temperature measurement products on the market:
Electronic Thermometer: Safe but Vulnerable to Interference
Cost-effective:
Convenience:
Accuracy:
Applicable age: over 0 years old
Electronic thermometers are divided into several types, which can measure the axillary temperature, oral cavity temperature and anus temperature of the baby.
Compared with mercury thermometers, such electronic thermometers are safer, faster and more intuitive in displaying body temperature.
However, like mercury thermometers, electronic thermometers also have a big disadvantage-inconvenience.
Most of the measurements of the baby’s body temperature are axillary temperature. If the baby wears too much, does not cooperate, and is not tightly clamped, the temperature measurement will be affected.
Ear Infrared Thermometer: Convenient, but Deviated
Cost-effective:
Convenience:
Accuracy: ~
Applicable age: over 6 months
Ear infrared thermometers are also called ear temperature guns. They are fast and can measure the temperature in 2-4 seconds. They are common in many shopping malls, amusement parks and early childhood education centers.
Its disadvantage is that the temperature measurement will be affected by many factors, depending on the environment and the method.
For example, if there is more earwax in the ear or the angle is not aligned with the tympanic membrane during measurement, the accuracy of measurement will be affected.
Ear temperature guns are generally not recommended for babies under 6 months old, because the ear canal of newborns and small babies is relatively narrow, the thermometer cannot completely enter the ear, and the measurement results are not accurate.
Infrared Temporal Artery Thermometer: Accurate, but Environmental Requirements
Cost-effective:
Convenience:
Accuracy:
Applicable age: over 0 years old
The temporal artery, also known as the temple, is very close to the skin surface. The measurement is very accurate and the measurement speed is very fast. (Forehead temperature is not allowed, do not measure forehead).
For the baby, the acceptance will be very high, whether the baby is awake or sleeping, the measurement is very convenient.
It also has its disadvantages. It cannot be used in an environment lower than 15 ℃, and can only be used indoors in winter.
The above electronic body temperature products have their own advantages and disadvantages. It is recommended that you prepare an electronic thermometer + temporal artery/ear temperature gun for use together.
Speaking of which, there will certainly be parents struggling. Is there no absolutely accurate body temperature measuring instrument?
The purpose of monitoring children’s body temperature is when to take drugs. The main purpose of using antipyretics is to make children more comfortable.
Children are in good spirits, 39 ℃ medication is possible; Children are not in good spirits and can take drugs below 38.5 ℃.
Therefore, it is really not necessary to have a hard knock with the child’s body temperature. The sporadic temperature difference is really not important.