What is the difference between axillary and rectal temperature

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Updated visitor guidelines. Top of the page. Fever Temperatures: Accuracy and Comparison. Topic Overview You can take a temperature using the mouth oral , anus rectal , armpit axillary , or ear tympanic. Generally, the correlation of temperature results are as follows: The average normal oral temperature is Important Phone Numbers.

Top of the page. Fever Temperatures: Accuracy and Comparison. Topic Overview You can take a temperature using the mouth oral , anus rectal , armpit axillary , or ear tympanic. A rectal temperature is 0. An ear tympanic temperature is 0. An armpit axillary temperature is usually 0. A forehead temporal scanner is usually 0.

It is important to remember: Rectal temperatures are generally thought to be the most accurate for checking a young child's temperature. The manufacturer of the temperature device you use, such as an ear or forehead thermometer, provides information on how to use it.

Be sure to read and follow the instructions to obtain an accurate temperature. The information may also include how the results of the device correlate with the results from other methods of taking a temperature. Plastic strip thermometers have some uses, but they aren't recommended for general home use. Unlike oral, rectal, and ear thermometers, plastic strip thermometers measure skin temperature, not body temperature.