http://www.hpa.org.uk/webc/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1194947358374

This is the excellent Health Protection Agency chart that tells you when to send your kids to school (or not).

Temperature references:

NICE guidance

http://publications.nice.org.uk/feverish-illness-in-children-cg47/guidance

“Detection of fever

In children aged 4 weeks to 5 years, healthcare professionals should measure body temperature

by one of the following methods:

• electronic thermometer in the axilla

• chemical dot thermometer in the axilla

• infrared tympanic thermometer (3.2.2)

Reported parental perception of a fever should be considered valid and taken seriously by health­ care professionals. (3.3)

• oral and rectal routes should not routinely be used to measure the body temperature of children aged 0-5 years
• in infants under the age of 4 weeks, body temperature should be measured with an electronic thermometer in the axilla
• in children aged 4 weeks to 5 years, healthcare professionals should measure body temperature by one of the following methods:
• electronic thermometer in the axilla
• chemical dot thermometer in the axilla
• NICE note that healthcare professionals who routinely use disposable chemical dot thermometers should consider using an alternative type of thermometer when multiple temperature measurements are required
• infra-red tympanic thermometer
• forehead chemical thermometers are unreliable and should not be used by healthcare professionals
• reported parental perception of a fever should be considered valid and taken seriously by healthcare professionals”

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1547-5069.1996.tb01173.x/abstract

“Chemical dot thermometers are used widely, but their clinical accuracy is not well documented. Temperature measurements with chemical dot and electronic thermometers were compared at the oral site in 27 adults and the axillary site in 44 adults and 34 young children in critical care units. In adults, mean readings with chemical dot thermometers were lower by -0.4°C orally, but higher by 0.4°C in the axilla. Axillary readings in children did not differ significantly with the two methods, although individual differences of ±0.4°C or more were common. Chemical dot thermometers provided rough temperature estimates, performing differently at the oral and axillary sites and in the two age groups.”

Here’s the great BMJ letter that made me interested in this

The inaccuracy of forehead thermometers

25 February 2013

http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.d3123/rr/631455