You wouldn’t risk
reusing an exam glove
for fear of spreading
pathogens—so why
reuse a thermometer?
Medical Indicators is an industry leading manufacturer of clinically-accurate, single-use thermometers. 20 to 40% of Healthcare-Acquired Infections (HAIs) are caused by cross-contamination via contact with the patient or by touching infected surfaces in the patient’s environment1. Clostridium difficile spores can survive up to 5 weeks on hospital equipment, resisting traditional surface cleaning methods2. The use of a sterile thermometer reduces the risk of introducing infection or contamination to patients with reusable thermometers classified as intermediate risk items3.
Medical Indicator’s thermometers are designed for high accuracy readings and to prevent patients from exposure to infections such as COVID-19, C. difficile, MRSA, MDROs, Norovirus, Rotavirus and other HAIs by providing a sterile instrument such as the Tempa•DOT® single-use thermoters – virtually eliminating the risk of spreading germs & infections. HAIs have a significant cost, and can occur in any setting of care, including hospital acute care units, same-day surgical centers, ambulatory outpatient care clinics, and long-term care facilities such as nursing homes and rehabilitation centres4.
Tempa∙DOT®
Patient Needs: clinical setting (hospital, surgery center, urgent care, dialysis, blood collection, LTC etc.); Tempa•DOT® thermometers are also offered in a sterile version, providing an added layer of protection when infection control is of critical importance (dialysis, ICU, chemo/infusion patients, etc.)
NexTemp® Ultra
Patient Needs: clinical setting (hospital, surgery center, urgent care, dialysis, blood collection, LTC etc.) , as well as consumer/retail (families & individuals, education, first-aid, online/in-store retail); accuracy, affordability, Eco‐impact, infection control, portability, easily transported/stored
TraxIt®
Patient Needs: wearable, axillary thermometer providing 48-hours of continuous temperature monitoring; pediatric ICU wards; children’s hospitals; pediatricians; senior, long‐term care and nursing homes/facilities
Editorial | The Role
of Single Use
Thermometers in
Infection Control
and Patient Care
Multi-patient reusable thermometers have been shown to be vectors for pathogens, which can spread throughout a health care facility. When thermometers are used on multiple patients by health care providers, the potential for transmission of pathogens from patient-to-patient and patient-to-provider increases.
Resources
Tempa•DOT® Directions for Oral Use
NexTemp® Directions for Oral Use
TraxIt® Directions for Use
1Jabłońska-Trypuć A, Makuła M, Włodarczyk-Makuła M, Wołejko E, Wydro U, Serra-Majem L, Wiater J. Inanimate Surfaces as a Source of Hospital Infections Caused by Fungi, Bacteria and Viruses with Particular Emphasis on SARS-CoV-2. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jul 1;19(13):8121. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19138121. PMID: 35805776; PMCID: PMC9265696.
2John AR, Alhmidi H, Cadnum JL, Jencson AL, Gestrich S, Donskey CJ. Evaluation of the potential for electronic thermometers to contribute to spread of healthcare-associated pathogens. Am J Infect Control. 2018 Jun;46(6):708-710. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2017.12.005. Epub 2018 Feb 1. PMID: 29395505
3https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/133905O/faqs-single-use-clinical-thermometers.pdf
4https://picnet.ca/surveillance/healthcare-associated-infections/#:~:text=In%20Canada%2C%20one%20in%20every,in%20at%20least%208%2C000%20deaths
