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Are Tempa•DOT™ thermometers accurate?
How much does it cost compared to what we are currently using?
Are Tempa•DOT™, NexTemp® and TraxIt® latex-free?
We have used disposable thermometers before with unsatisfactory
results. Why? a. NexTemp® does not require controlled storage conditions. NexTemp® can be carried in uniform pockets, left on counter tops, kept in warm automobiles or ambulances, used in all environments. b. NexTemp® will not over fire if left in place longer than the 60 seconds in the mouth or 3 minutes under the arm. Tempa-Dot is designed to overfire by 0.6°F (0.3°C) if left in place longer than the prescribed dwell time. c. NexTemp® has a shelf life of 5 years and will retain its accuracy even if continuously exposed to temperatures as high as 120°F (49°C) for up to 30 days.
We use tympanic, electronic predictive, digital electronic, or glass
thermometers now. Why consider changing to TempaDOT™ or NexTemp® disposable thermometers? a. Currently, hospital-acquired infections have reached epidemic proportions. Over 80,000 times annually, MRSA (Methicillin resistant staphylococcus), VRE (Vancomycin resistant enterococcus), and multi-antibiotic resistant TB cause extended hospital stays for patients. This averages over $40,000 per occurrence for a national total exceeding $4 billion. b. Among other items, thermometer probes, cords, and "boxes" have been implicated as potential sources in the spread of infection from bed to bed. Colonized caregivers and instrument surfaces may expose the immunosuppressed patient in isolation and ICU to infectious agents. Since caregivers may not strictly adhere to infection-reducing protocols, (i.e. disinfecting hands or instruments between patients, routinely changing gloves, etc.) it is easy to suspect these factors as a potential source for these burgeoning statistics. Economical NexTemp is disposable, and as such, it reduces the potential of carrying an infection from patient to patient. c. The potential cost saving for avoiding even one hospital acquired infection can pay for a whole year's supply of NexTemp® disposable thermometers. d. A major ban on products containing mercury has occurred worldwide. Environmental contamination due to improper disposal of broken mercury fever thermometers has lead to restrictions on their use.
What about TempaDot's, NexTemp's and TraxIt's accuracy? How can we trust these
simple devices? a. Each green dot is a separate thermometer. It is precisely set to react at one specific temperature, a temperature that is 0.2°F (0.1°C) higher than the dot that precedes it in the matrix and 0.2°F (0.1°C) lower than the following dot. It reads temperature directly and does not predict it. b. Each lot of thermometers is tested in multiple water baths for accuracy using a statistically valid sampling plan. Accuracy is required to be ±0.2 °F (0.1°C) within the critical range of 98-102°F (37-39°C) and ±0.4°F (0.2°C) elsewhere as prescribed by ASTM E 1299-96. c. NexTemp thermometers do not go out of calibration due to handling,
dropping, electronic malfunctions, etc. Over its five-year shelf
life, each device retains its accuracy despite repeated cycling
of storage temperatures.
We already use another system in most of the hospital (nursing home,
clinic, etc.), why and where would we consider TempaDOT™ NexTemp® and
TraxIt®? a. NexTemp and TraxIt provides an instant answer for those hard-to-take temps in the nursery, isolation, blood bank, PACU, ER, dialysis, and other specialty areas. b. NexTemp and TraxIt require no hardware purchase or retraining. c. NexTemp and TraxIt take advantage of familiar procedures and offer a simple, low cost ancillary alternative. d. NexTemp and TraxIt represent an inexpensive opportunity to compare methods for improved infection control and increased efficiency.
Why should we use TraxIt on newborns, children, adolescents and
other selected patients where the axilla is a proper site for temperature
measurement? a. TraxIt provides a constant, wearable source of accurate temperature measurement in hairless (or shaved) axillas. b. Temperatures are virtually instant and extremely reliable because the thermometer remains in place for up to 48 hours. Most axillary temps are taken improperly, because proper dwell times (minimum 5 minutes, optimum 11 minutes) are usually not feasible. Continuous temperature monitoring overcomes this former failing in the axillary protocol. c. TraxIt® often represents the lowest cost alternative, per temperature option available, because an unlimited number of temperature readings may be taken during its' 48-hour placement (an average of at least 6 per day is likely). d. Non-compliant patients, those who are intubated or cannulated, patients in post anesthesia care units, ICU patients and others who can benefit from non-intrusive procedures may have underarm areas shaved to accommodate TraxIt use. e. TraxIt's extended range (94°F to 104.8°F) (35.0°C to 41.9°C) allows continuous readings of hypothermic temperatures.
What special reasons exist for including NexTemp and TraxIt in our hospital thermometry program? Answer: a. Because of their simplicity, NexTemp, (and its companion wearable product, TraxIt), caregivers can teach proper temperature techniques prior to discharge and can thereby improve the temperature taking reliability of parents, the elderly, and other hard to teach groups when temperatures must be taken at home, on vacation, during emergencies, etc. The use of toxic glass mercury and digital thermometers with batteries can be eliminated with the use of NexTemp and TraxIt.
How can NexTemp disposable thermometers be cost-effective when compared
to "free" electronic predictive or tympanic thermometers
we use with probe covers? a. No hardware means no capital equipment cost, no warranty charges, and no need to constantly recalibrate units. There is no involvement of the biomedical engineering department, no searching for lost or stolen instruments, no need to set up computerized tracking systems, no forced obsolescence, etc. All of these items add to the real cost of taking each temperature. b. Multiple caregivers can have instant access to thermometers simultaneously. No waiting for the return of the department's only instrument, no harried room-to-room searches for misplaced devices, no administrative threats about payment for lost or stolen instruments last seen on their floor, etc. This results in improved efficiency. c. Disposable TempaDOT™ and NexTemp® represent significant direct comparative savings due to the loss of product pre-firing prior to use and the loss of efficiency by attempting to "recover" those units. d. TempaDOT and NexTemp are very likely the lowest cost option for routine temperature taking throughout a facility.
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