Mercury thermometer instructions for use. Buy a mercury thermometer in pharmacies. Is it possible to get mercury poisoning from a thermometer?

Allows you to take temperature measurements without the discomfort that contact samples cause. Also, this measurement option allows you to quickly and safely obtain data on the human body temperature, unlike mercury analogues.

In addition, this thermometer can measure the temperature of air, water and any surface.

Specifications:

• Measuring range (body mode): 32.0°C - 42.5°C/89.6°F - 108.5°F;
• Measuring range (surface mode): 0°C - 60°C/32°F - 140°F;
• Minimum measurement step: 0.1°C/0.1°F;
• Accuracy: 32 - 35.9°C, 93.2 - 96.6°F (±0.3°C/±0.5°F);
• ASTM: 36 - 39°C/96.8 - 96.6 - 102.2°F (±0.2°C/±0.4°F);
• E1965-1998 (2003): 39 - 42.5°C/102.2 - 108.5°F (±0.3°C/±0.5°F);
• Optimal distance for taking measurements: 5-15 cm;
• Measurement time: 0.5 seconds;
• Dimensions: 14.6 cm * 8.8 cm * 4.3 cm;
• Weight: 150 g;
• Color: white with blue;
• Screen backlight color: blue;
• Memory: the last 32 measurements are stored.

Measurement procedure:

1. Unpack the device;
2. Take the thermometer in your hand by the handle and point it at the surface to be measured;
3. Press and hold the MEASURE button. Temperature measurement will start automatically. If the screen does not display values, replace the battery;
4. Release the MEASURE button. The Hold indicator will automatically appear on the screen, indicating that the measurement has been taken and can be observed on the monitor. In this case, by pressing the UP or DOWN buttons you can turn the laser on or off;
5. The thermometer will turn off automatically after 7 seconds of inactivity.

Purpose of controls:

The UP or DOWN buttons adjust the emissivity factor during measurements.

During the fixed reading period, the UP and DOWN buttons turn the laser on or off.

The BACKLIGHT button turns the screen backlight on or off. To adjust the sound threshold HAL, LAL or emissivity factor EMS, press the MODE button. Next, use the UP or DOWN buttons to select the desired mode.

Modes:

HAL mode - sound signal when the upper temperature threshold is exceeded. The upper threshold is immediately adjusted using the UP and DOWN buttons.

LAL mode - sound signal when the temperature is below the minimum threshold. The lower threshold is immediately adjusted using the UP and DOWN buttons.

Setting the EMS emissivity factor:

The thermometer allows for setting the emissivity coefficient from 0.10 to 1.0.

To continuously measure temperature, you need to turn on the LOCK mode. To do this, press the UP or DOWN button to turn the LOCK mode on or off. The device will continuously measure the temperature until the MEASURE button is released.

In LOCK mode, use the UP and DOWN buttons to adjust the blackness factor.

So, yesterday we started discussing the dangers of mercury and the problem of a broken mercury thermometer. We still have the most undisassembled main question– what to do if the thermometer breaks, what should be the algorithm of action in this case? Where should you go if you have a problem like this and where should you dispose of the remains of a broken device? Let's figure it out step by step.

Where to start?

In general, according to the rules of all textbooks on emergencies, if residential or public premises are contaminated with hazardous substances of the first hazard class, it is necessary to immediately contact the Ministry of Emergency Situations, which must eliminate the consequences of the accident. But many already know from practice that sometimes the Ministry of Emergency Situations or special institutions for the disposal of hazardous waste simply cannot be reached by phone, and they will not be in a hurry to come to you urgently to collect mercury from thermometers. Therefore, if you are panicking, you can call the “01” service and get advice on how to properly clean mercury in your apartment. Experts will definitely give you a lot practical advice and instructions, in addition, most likely you will be given the address of the enterprise where you will need to deliver hazardous waste for disposal - collected mercury and the remains of the thermometer.

Special situations

You should not think about how to collect mercury yourself in cases where there are special conditions - then you need to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Mercury instantly boils and evaporates at a temperature of +40 degrees Celsius, and if it gets on a heating radiator or heater. It will evaporate almost instantly, polluting the entire air in the room. Also, you should not collect mercury yourself in children's institutions, which are closed and very poorly ventilated, while very warm rooms, especially in summer or during the heating season. It is also prohibited for people at particular risk of mercury poisoning to clean up mercury.

This group of people includes:

Pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy, since mercury easily penetrates the placenta and can harm the fetus;
- children and adolescents under the age of 18, since mercury can negatively affect the processes of growth and development;
- elderly people over 65 years of age due to slow metabolism and extremely slow removal of mercury from the body;
- patients with liver and kidney damage, diseases of the central nervous system, weakened and often and for a long time ill.

All these people, if the air is contaminated with mercury, must be immediately removed from the room, and disinfection of all surfaces and air in the room (demercurization) must begin.

How to reassemble a broken thermometer

Of course, we told you that mercury is a dangerous substance, and often breaking a thermometer in own home, many are afraid of instant poisoning and make too many unnecessary movements. Collecting mercury balls from a broken thermometer is difficult, especially if your hands are shaking with fear. But the other extreme is also very common: people do not attach any importance to the fact that they broke the thermometer, carelessly sweep the mercury into a dustpan with a broom and throw it in the trash can, which remains in the apartment for several days.

With this phenomenon, numerous mercury balls remain in the home for long time, and poison the air in the room with their gradually evaporating vapors. And then they wonder - why do we start getting sick so often, why does the child’s stomach get upset, vomit, is lethargic or excited, and why do our own heads simply split from pain? Probably the weather has an effect! And the mercury evaporates and evaporates from the corners, destroying the kidneys and liver. Therefore, if you drop a mercury thermometer and it breaks, you should not panic, but you also cannot ignore the rules for collecting mercury and demercurizing the premises. It is worth following the accepted algorithm for removing mercury from an apartment or house.

So what should we do?

Carefully inspect the dropped thermometer without lifting it from the floor. There may be a crack in it and the scale is broken - this is the best option. If there are suspicions that it is completely broken, do not pick it up from the floor, especially bare hands, without prior preparation. Take any sealed glass vessel - preferably a jar with a lid, and carefully, so as not to allow the mercury to leak out, place the cracked thermometer in the jar. To be extra safe, you can fill the jar first. ice water. Do not throw away this jar with a thermometer like regular garbage in a trash can or garbage disposal. Contact the Ministry of Emergency Situations or type in a search engine - we have two recycling enterprises in our city, I think there are them in your city too, I found a portal on the Internet - kudagradusnik.ru, it contains the addresses of recycling enterprises by city.

If the thermometer fell, broke, and mercury leaked out of it, you will need to carefully collect it and clean the room. Where to start? First of all, immediately remove all its occupants, including pets and birds, from the room where the accident occurred. Firstly, no one will breathe mercury vapor, and secondly, mercury will not be spread throughout the house on their legs and paws. Close the door tightly, if there are cracks under the doors, tuck them with a wet rag soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate, open the windows or turn on the split system at full power to create at least 16-17 degrees or lower in the room. At this temperature, mercury rolls into balls and does not evaporate.

To protect your respiratory system and inhale less mercury, wear a gauze or medical mask with several layers of damp gauze soaked in manganese or soda solution. Experts advise working in synthetic clothing, as it is less breathable and prevents mercury vapor from actively circulating to the body. If mercury gets on your clothes, you will have to throw them away, since it will be impossible to clean them, so wear old, unusable clothes. Before collecting mercury, put on thick rubber gloves and shoe covers or bags on your feet to protect your skin and shoes. After the end of collection, you then tie all the things that were in contact with mercury in a tight bag and hand them over along with the thermometer and mercury.

Collecting mercury from the floor

Fill the jar cold water and place it next to you, mercury sinks in water and slows down evaporation. Take two sheets of paper, a brush and cotton wool, tape or adhesive tape, a flashlight or lamp, a medical bulb or a syringe with a thick needle, and a knitting needle. Roll the mercury balls into a large ball using two sheets of paper and place them in a jar; you can brush them with a soft brush or cotton wool. Stick small balls on pieces of tape or plaster and throw them into a jar, use a flashlight or lamp to illuminate the floors from the side, the mercury balls will be reflected in the transmitted light and you can collect them all. Inspect the cracks of the floor and baseboard especially carefully; if mercury has rolled under the baseboard, you need to lift it and carefully collect everything. It is convenient to collect mercury from cracks with a bulb or syringe, sucking them inside, or with a knitting needle, since mercury sticks to metals.

If the collection is not quick, every 10-15 minutes go out into the air to breathe and drink plenty of liquid, and in a hot room above +25-30 degrees, staying in the room at the same time is a maximum of 7-10 minutes. When leaving an infected room, remove the bags or shoe covers from your feet and throw them into a bag for disposal. After carefully collecting all the mercury balls, close the jar tightly and take it out into the cold, in non-residential premises(balcony, garage, outside, out of reach of children and other persons). We wash the floors with a strong solution of potassium permanganate or bleach and soda solution several times. A rag - in a bag for disposal. Thoroughly spray the cracks in the floor with this solution from a spray bottle and leave for at least a day to neutralize the smallest particles of mercury that are invisible to the eye.

When mercury spills from a thermometer, certain actions are strictly prohibited:

Ventilate the premises with a draft, then balls of mercury will roll throughout the house, and toxic fumes will spread throughout all rooms;
- you cannot sweep away mercury with a broom - the balls will crush into fine dust, stick to the rods and lift the mercury into the air, contaminating everything in the path of sweeping;
- you cannot use a vacuum cleaner, as you will transfer the heat and spray the mercury into an aerosol and get poisoned. The vacuum cleaner will then be hopelessly poisoned with mercury and can only be disposed of;
- wash items that have been exposed to mercury washing machine, these things are for recycling only;
- drain mercury balls from sewers and pipes. Mercury will stick to the pipes and will poison the atmosphere for you and your neighbors for a long time;
- you cannot throw mercury and a thermometer into the garbage chute, burn it, or bury it.

If mercury gets on fabrics, furniture or wooden surfaces? Wood can be treated with the solutions described above, but it is better to throw away carpets, fabrics and toys. If this cannot be done in any way, they need to be placed in the sun for at least a month, the mercury will gradually evaporate and disappear, but no one knows how completely. You cannot wash, soak in solutions or treat them - whiteness and potassium permanganate will ruin things, therefore, there is little choice here. In any case, mercury can remain on carpets and fabrics for a long time - these things will be dangerous.

A mercury thermometer is a thin capillary tube sealed on both sides, from which air has been pumped out. At the lower end of this tube there is a reservoir filled with mercury. On the plate to which the tube is attached there is a scale with divisions from 34 to 42 degrees Celsius. Each degree is divided into 10 smaller divisions of 0.1 0 C

Medical thermometer maximum differs from a conventional mercury thermometer in that the lumen at the junction of the capillary tube into the mercury reservoir is narrowed and curved, which makes it difficult for the mercury to move in this elbow. Therefore, when heated, mercury slower reaches its maximum level, but after heating stops, the mercury column does not fall by itself, but continues to show the maximum number on the temperature scale to which it has reached. Therefore, such a thermometer is called maximum. In order for the mercury column to fall back into the reservoir, the mercury thermometer must be shaken.

A mercury thermometer remains the most common device for measuring body temperature.

Advantages of a mercury thermometer:

• A mercury thermometer is closest in its performance to a gas thermometer, which is recognized as a reference thermometer. Therefore, it is believed that a mercury thermometer measures body temperature more accurately than other thermometers.
• Affordable to almost any buyer (usually the price of a mercury thermometer does not exceed 25-50 rubles).
• Allows disinfection with complete immersion in a disinfectant solution, therefore suitable for medical institutions.

Disadvantages of a mercury thermometer:

• Long measurement time - at least 10 minutes.
• The main drawback, which easily negates all the advantages, is that it contains mercury that is hazardous to health (about 2 grams) and is easily broken.

It is for this reason that a mercury thermometer for measuring body temperature is prohibited in some countries. The ban also applies to room thermometers, barometers and devices for measuring blood pressure. This measure allows you to significantly reduce the amount of toxic mercury released into the environment with garbage.

Why is a broken thermometer dangerous?

Mercury is a liquid with a silver-metallic sheen that begins to evaporate at temperatures of +18°C and above. If a thermometer breaks, then upon impact the mercury breaks into small drops and disperses throughout the room, easily penetrating cracks in floors, into crevices under baseboards, and getting stuck in the pile of carpets. Gradually evaporating, it poisons the air in the room. Long-term intake of small amounts of mercury leads to chronic mercury intoxication, which can manifest itself as dermatitis, stomatitis, salivation, metallic taste in the mouth, diarrhea, anemia, headaches, tremors of the limbs, and kidney damage.

Laboratory data are of particular importance in the diagnosis of mercury poisoning. Excretion of more than 0.3 mg/l of mercury in the urine indicates the possibility of mercury intoxication.

What to do if a mercury thermometer breaks? - about measures aimed at decontaminating mercury (demercurization).

Rules for using a mercury thermometer

Before each measurement, you must inspect the mercury thermometer to make sure that the mercury column is below 35 0 C. If it is higher, then it must be shaken off.

Shaking off produced as follows: capturing top part thermometer into the fist so that the head rests on the palm, the reservoir with mercury looks down, and the middle of the thermometer is between the large and index fingers you need to forcefully lower your arm down several times with a jerky movement at the elbow joint, making a sudden stop.

After use, the mercury thermometer is disinfected. Never wash a mercury thermometer with hot water.

To correctly determine the diagnosis of a patient, the doctor must obtain correct and accurate information about the condition of the sick person’s body.

Body temperature can tell you a lot about your health and well-being. Normal temperature human body– a variable value, it fluctuates under the influence of various factors from 36.3 to 37.5°C.

To accurately and reliably measure it, you need to follow certain rules. Every person should know how to use different types of thermometers and how long to measure the temperature.

The duration of temperature measurement depends on the type of thermometer. Pharmacies sell two types of thermometers, differing in the principle of operation: ordinary and familiar mercury, expensive and modern electronic. Both types have both advantages and disadvantages. Mercury devices have been familiar to every person since childhood, and they do not lose popularity even today. Their main advantages are:

• low price;
• accurate temperature readings;
• ease of use;
• elimination of incorrect data with correct measurement;
• measuring temperature in several ways.

However, mercury thermometers are fragile and fragile; if handled carelessly, they can easily break. Mercury spilled from a broken device can cause serious harm to human health. It also takes longer to measure temperature with a mercury thermometer than with an electronic one. The advantages of electronic devices are as follows:

• the ability to measure temperature in several ways;
• short measurement time;
• strength and safety.

But many people who use electronic thermometers note that the devices sometimes give unreliable temperature readings.

Methods for measuring body temperature

In both adults and children, body temperature is measured in three ways: axillary, oral, rectal. The most accurate temperature data can be obtained with rectal measurement, and the least accurate with axillary measurement. Normal body temperature with an axillary, that is, axillary, measurement is 36.6°C, with a rectal measurement - 37.3 - 37.7°C, and with an oral method - 37.1 - 37.5°C. You can measure the temperature in the armpit, in the oral cavity, and in the rectum with both a mercury and an electronic thermometer.

Measuring body temperature rectally

At this method For measurements, the thermometer is immersed through the anus into the rectum. This measurement is considered the most accurate and reliable, since the intestine, protected by the sphincter from the external environment, is not subject to significant temperature fluctuations. Most often, temperature is determined rectally in young children. In adults, measuring temperature rectally is recommended in the following situations:

• when a person is unconscious;
• to determine the onset of ovulation in women by basal temperature;
• with significant body weight deficiency;
• for skin diseases affecting the axillary fossae;
• with inflammatory reactions in the oral cavity;
• with low-grade fever.

It is forbidden to measure temperature rectally in the presence of hemorrhoids, difficulty passing stool, diarrhea, or proctitis. Also, do not measure after being in hot bath, bathhouse, sauna, after active physical training, as the temperature readings will be incorrect.

To conveniently measure rectal temperature, it is recommended that an adult lie on his side, bend his knees and press his legs to his stomach. To determine your baby's temperature, you can lay him with his back on a horizontal surface and raise his legs.

Measuring body temperature orally

With this method of measuring temperature, a thermometer is placed in the mouth so that the mercury capsule is under the tongue. This method is most often used to measure body temperature in Western clinics; in the post-Soviet space, doctors usually use the axillary version. Oral temperature determination is recommended for children school age and teenagers, but infants are strictly prohibited.

Ignorant children can accidentally bite through a mercury thermometer and swallow glass and mercury. It is also contraindicated to measure temperature orally in case of respiratory diseases accompanied by nasal congestion or inflammation in the oral cavity.

Axillary measurement

The simplest and most popular way to measure body temperature is to place a thermometer in the armpit. This is the method that the vast majority of people use, although it cannot be called accurate and reliable.

It should be noted that incorrect results of axillary measurement are most often observed when the procedure is performed incorrectly. Not only children, but also many adults do not know how to correctly measure in the armpit; they carry out the procedure at their own discretion.

Proper use of a mercury thermometer

Every day, millions of people measure their body temperature with a mercury thermometer, but rarely does anyone think about how to do it correctly. Many adults and children do not even know how many minutes the measurement procedure should last. There are certain rules that must be followed step by step when measuring temperature with a mercury thermometer in the armpit.

1. It is recommended to carry out the procedure in a room where the air temperature is not lower than 18°C, but not higher than 25°C.
2. The armpit should be dry. If the skin is damp, then remove the sweat from it with a napkin or clean cloth.
3. The thermometer should be shaken until the mercury drops to 35°C on the scale.
4. The device must be placed in the armpit so that the mercury capsule fits tightly to the skin.
5. In order for the thermometer to hold well under the armpit and not slip out, the shoulder part of the arm must be pressed tightly to the body.
6. During the temperature measurement process, you need to sit quietly, do not speak, do not move, and do not eat food.
7. The measurement time with a mercury thermometer is 10 minutes.

A sick person needs to measure their temperature with a mercury thermometer several times a day. It is advisable to do this every day same time: for example, at 10 am and 8 pm. It is useless to try to determine body temperature after intense exercise. sports training, walking on the street, swimming in reservoirs, baths, saunas, showers, since the indicators will definitely be unreliable.

Also, you should not carry out the procedure after stressful situation, nervous strain, heavy meals, since the temperature will probably be elevated. In all of the above cases, you should wait half an hour, lie quietly, relax, and then start measuring. If a person takes antipyretic medications, then at least 40 minutes should pass between taking the medication and taking the temperature.

Measure the temperature in the oral cavity with a mercury thermometer with extreme caution. One awkward movement of the jaws - toxic mercury and many small fragments of glass appear on the tongue. To correctly determine oral temperature, the following rules should be considered:

• Before placing the thermometer in the oral cavity, it must be rinsed warm water, and then wipe with any antiseptic;
• the device must be shaken so that the mercury is set at 35°C on the scale;
• the thermometer is placed in the mouth so that the mercury capsule is located under the tongue;
• To prevent the thermometer from falling out of your mouth, you need to close your lips and lightly squeeze the device with your teeth;
• The measurement time with a mercury thermometer is 5 minutes.

Before measuring oral temperature, do not smoke or drink hot tea or coffee, otherwise the readings will be incorrect.

Doctors advise determining rectal temperature with a mercury thermometer, since in this case it gives the most accurate and correct results. The thermometer is immersed into the rectum to a depth of no more than 2.5 centimeters. The measurement time is 8 minutes.

During the procedure, you need to lie down without moving so as not to disrupt your readings. After the measurement, the thermometer is carefully removed from the anus. If the thermometer is used alternately by several people, then after each procedure it must be thoroughly treated with antiseptic substances.

Correct use of an electronic thermometer

Many people do not like that measuring with a mercury thermometer takes too long. If you don’t want to wait 10 minutes for the result, you can use an electronic thermometer. At the end of the device there is a sensor that sets body temperature, and there is a screen on the panel that shows digital data. Measuring axillary temperature with an electronic thermometer is carried out in the same way as with a mercury thermometer.

The main thing is that the sensor fits tightly to the skin in the armpit. If the thermometer does not fit tightly, it may show the temperature not of the body, but of the air in the room.

The instructions for the device say that you need to remove it from the armpit immediately after the sound signal. But to ensure the reliability of the result, doctors recommend that patients keep the thermometer under their armpit for a few minutes after the signal.

An electronic thermometer can be used to measure temperature orally. Moreover, it is enough to hold the device in the oral cavity for just a minute to get accurate and correct readings.