I enjoy the RT, but....

Personally, I have no issue with having my rectal temperature taken in an actual medical setting or in a role play. I say that in light of the fact I recently saw my friend's teenage daughter, a 17 year old girl get her temperature taken rectally by her aunt. My friend is a single mom, came here from India about 20 years ago. Her sister came a year before her and is a nurse.

And you might ask...why'd I see it? Well I stopped by to return a borrowed item. It was as I wasn't even there (in the room) when the girl's aunt turned her over hiked her robe up, lowered her panties, grabbed the thermometer, shook it down. I guess one of the older ones, then parting the teen's cheeks, inserted the instrument and let it rest, well inserted for the three or so minutes. It was no big deal, and the teen while laying there, thermometer jutting out from between her cheeks addressed me telling me she'd be OK in a day or two! I'm a bit surprised it wasn't a screaming match or refusals or her telling me to get out, etc. No, it was as normal as it could be. Girl is sick, girl has temperature taken, end of story.

First, I didn't realize the RT was still a common thing for teens anywhere. Any caregivers out there have any comment on this? Or might this just be something that culturally, from where my friend and her sister emigrated from, it is a standard practice.

For me personally; if I went to see a doctor and the nurse told me that I need to take your temperature and the only way that it is taken is rectally and they only have rectal thermometers; I will have no problem dropping my pants for the nurse to take it. I would ask the nurse to turn her back to me so I can lay down onto the table and drop my pants to turn over onto my tummy for the nurse to to insert the thermometer or if I already have on a hospital gown; just turn over onto my tummy.

Foot note: I also saw something like this on youtube.com.

I'm guessing that this girl was from India ? Are rectal temps even taken in that country ? Most teens raised in the U.S., especially in this era of PC, would likely be appalled at having their rectal temp taken, especially in front of a stranger.

JJM,

I agree with your comments. As for the girl, her Mother came here from India. She , the daughter, was born here. Are RTs taken in India? Well, whether it's India, the US, or another country, the probability that RTs are taken I'd say is high. You raise a good point, PC. has affected us in many areas of our lives, and in the giving of care it has also crept in. Yes, I would tend to believe "most" teens would be appalled at this practice, but who knows; there are probably those who have no issue with it, as this young girl.

Emblaze: When I grew up, in France, rectal temperatures were very common for children, teenagers and adults. In fact, it was compulsory in hospitals, even for people used to oral at home. However, once old enough you were expected to insert the thermometer yourself (under the bedsheets, for privacy). It would have been extremely out of place to take a teenager's rectal temperature (barring special circumstances like the teenager being incapacitated).

Pecan Nutjob,

Not that I question or disagree with your comment, as I've never been in France, but you state that when you "grew up" in France (what era?) the practice was common, even compulsory as you state. OK, I can understand that when age ready, you could do the procedure yourself. So, are you saying that in say, a medical setting if a teen needed his/her temperature obtained rectally, it would be extremely out of place, and that a medical professional/caregiver would not or could not be expected to take the temperature, but instead let the teen patient do it? And yes, I can understand your comment, "barring special circumstances..."

Thanks.

Emblaze: As a kid, I had one hospital stay, for appendectomy. The nurses would, I think twice a day, come to the room, hand me and the roommate a thermometer each, and we were expected to roll on the side and insert it under bedsheets. You could actually smell them coming since the thermometers were stored in some kind of pungent disinfectant.

Several minutes afterwards, they would come, collect the thermometers, and note the temperature somewhere (I do not recall seeing a chart, perhaps there was a kind of notebook).

This was around 1981 and I was about 9.

The procedure at home was similar.

Pecan nutjob,

Not to be redundant, but I'll make this my last comment on your posts and again, not disagreeing or saying it's no so, but I've always heard that when a patient is having their rectal temperature taken, especially in a medical setting, be it a hospital or other medical facility, the caregiver was the one to actually administer the procedure and NOT leave the patient until the required time (depending on the type thermometer used) was up. Anyway, thanks for your responses and input.

Emblaze: This seems to be a cultural difference between France and the United States. Cultural differences extend to medical procedures, including what is considered appropriate or not regarding patients' privacy and dignity.

I was hooked after the third time, but when I told my friends about it they said they did not have that in years. so for 3 years worked up the nerve to ask my mom to stop even though I looked forward to them.

Temprise98: Do you know why your mother did not immediately revert to oral? I mean, I understand going back to rectal if no other thermometer is available, but surely she bought another oral soon?

This is probably kinda rare nowadays but I sure do think it would be fun to watch as you did.

Getting your rectal temperature taken as an adult is very embarrassing. I've had it done twice. One time I had a heart related issue, which turned out to be nothing but panic attacks. But the doctor wanted a blood gases draw done. I didn't know what was in store, but a nurse walked in and told me she needed to get a core temperature reading. The word "core" temperature reading didn't register to me until she actually started to take my temperature. She had her back to me while she was preparing the thermometer probe. She put the thermometer on a small table and turned around to me. Here's where she said...."Okay, I need you to lower your underwear just below your bottom, then I need you to turn left onto your side and face the wall with both knees drawn toward your chest. I asked "to take my temperature?". She said " I'm so sorry, they didn't explain this to you. When we do a blood gas draw, sometimes they require a "core" temperature reading, which has to be done rectally. I looked over at the thermometer probe on the table, now in view. It had K-Y on the tip. I looked back at her with a worried look and said "this is going to hurt isn't it." She assured me it wouldn't. I turned on my side and scrunched up, and pulled my drawers down enough so my butt was showing. I felt exam gloved fingers raise my butt cheek. Then I felt a cold pinch, and I jumped a little as she slid the slippery probe up my rectum a fairly good depth. It probably only took a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity for that thing to beep. It registered 99.2F, and she took it back out. It felt worse coming out than it did going in. She wiped my crack with a tissue to get a blob of K-Y out. That was humiliating. The other time I had my rectal temperature taken in the hospital was when I had my jaw operated on. The nurse found it necessary to use the rectal method because my face and ears were inflamed. My wife also watched her do it. Feels awkward having your wife watch another woman stick something up your butt, and my wife knew her.