Doris Payne

Abstract

This study was conducted on seventy-five children, three to eight years of age. The purpose was to compare a three-minute axillary with a three-minute rectal temperature. Known factors which might influence the findings were eliminated. These were emotional stress, physical exercise, antipyretic medications, cooling and heating measures, gastro-intestinal disturbances, and croupettes or oxygen tents. The range of the difference between the temperatures was from 0.8 degrees to 2.2 degrees with the mean difference of 1.13 degrees. A little less than half of the temperatures had one degree of difference. An additional thirty-two per cent were within 0.2 degrees of being one degree of difference. In eighty-eight per cent the difference was less than one and one-half degrees; while twelve per cent ranged from 1.6 degrees to 2.2 degrees. The coefficient of the correlation was 0.9234. It was felt that this close correlation could have been influenced by the fact that most of the children had on a gown with sleeves and many had on undershirts also; and because the rectal temperatures were obtained by inserting the thermometer just past the sphincter muscle rather than a deeper insertion. Though not part of the study the reaction of the children to axillary thermometry was of interest. Their apparent acceptance of this method and the apparent dislike, which was expressed by many, toward the rectal procedure, seemed to be significant.

LLU Discipline

Nursing

Department

Nursing

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

Maxine Atteberry

Second Advisor

Clarice Woodward

Third Advisor

Lois Heppenstall

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.S.

Year Degree Awarded

1965

Date (Title Page)

6-1965

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Body Temperature -- in infancy & childhood

Type

Thesis

Page Count

v; 44

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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