Assessing Temporal Artery Temperature

1. Brush the patient’s hair aside if it is covering the temporal artery area.

2. Apply a probe cover.

3. Hold the thermometer like a remote control device, with your thumb on the red ‘ON’ button. Place the probe flush on the center of the forehead, with the body of the instrument sideways (not straight up and down), so it is not in the patient’s face.

4. Depress the ON button. Keep the button depressed throughout the measurement.

5. Slowly slide the probe straight across the forehead, midline, to the hair line. The thermometer will click; fast clicking indicates a rise to a higher temperature, slow clicking indicates the instrument is still scanning, but not finding any higher temperature.


6. Brush hair aside if it is covering the ear, exposing the area of the neck under the ear lobe. Lift the probe from the forehead and touch on the neck just behind the ear lobe, in the depression just below the mastoid.

7. Release the button and read the thermometer measurement.

8. Hold the thermometer over a waste receptacle. Gently push the probe cover with your thumb against the proximal edge to dispose of probe cover.

9. Instrument will automatically turn off in 30 seconds, or press and release the power button.