Basic Nursing SkillsQuestion 77 of 200
Oral temperature is contraindicated for residents who:
a.Have eaten hot soup or had ice water in the past five minutes and can simply be retested after fifteen minutes
b.Are unconscious, confused, on oxygen by mask, mouth-breathing, or who have had oral surgery
c.Have just returned from the bathroom or from a walk down the hallway
d.Have dentures, a dry mouth, or a history of gum disease
Explanation
Oral temperature is unsafe or inaccurate in unconscious, confused, seizure-prone, oxygen-mask, mouth-breathing, or post-oral-surgery residents. Alternative routes (axillary, temporal, tympanic) should be used. Recent hot/cold intake (a) merely requires waiting 15-30 minutes; brief activity (c) similarly resolves with rest. Choosing the wrong route can cause injury or significantly inaccurate readings.
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