Trib Tested: Exergen SmartGlow TemporalScanner Thermometer
The claim: Exergen SmartGlow TemporalScanner Thermometer is an updated version of the original TemporalScanner. The illuminated display offers easy reading in any light. It automatically retains the last eight temperature readings for instant recall. This infrared thermometer captures temperature by scanning heat that is emitted from the forehead, via the temporal artery. The Exergen SmartGlow has been tested and the results are that its measurement is just as accurate as a rectal thermometer but easier to use.
Cost: $49.99
Where: Major retailers including Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Costco and Babies “R” Us
There are only a few ways to take a child's temperature. For especially small children, you have to do it the unpleasant way (the dreaded rectal thermometer).
The Smart Glow TemporalScanner is much better than this, obviously, and it can take a child's temperature on the forehead — which is even better than an in-ear thermometer. The tip on it is soft, and it takes only a couple of seconds to get a reading. It reads temperature more accurately than thermometer strips, which are rarely accurate, and doctors often tell you not to use them.
The Exergen TemporalScanner is a thermometer that measures the temporal artery in the forehead. With a quick swipe across the forehead, it is supposed to deliver an accurate temperature. However, if there is a trick to getting an accurate reading, I can't seem to figure it out.
I tested this product periodically on six people over a few weeks, and I couldn't get a consistent reading. In fact, it was usually several degrees below normal body temperature. I pored over the instructions, went to the website and watched instructional videos and tried all of the troubleshooting tips, but I still managed to get a believable temperature reading only some of the time. My family members didn't have any more success with it. I don't think I can rely on this device: We just don't get along.
I really like the idea of this thermometer — you can take a temperature even while the patient is asleep. I wish it had been available when my children were babies. But it's great for grownups, too. its many features give it a real space-age feel. Kind of makes me feel like Dr. McCoy from “Star Trek.”
The laser takes a thousand readings per second as you swipe the thermometer from mid-forehead sideways to the hairline. The beeping that occurs while scanning can be silenced if you don't want to wake up your patient. Bells and whistles include retaining eight previous temperatures, which would be helpful in checking a fever's upward or downward progression.
The thermometer comes with a 1-year warranty, so it might be advised to keep an old fashioned thermometer on standby — as well as extra batteries — for emergencies.
