PHARM 100 IMM: VITAL SIGNS. EXAM
QUESTIONS WITH 100% CORRECT
ANSWERS | LATEST VERSION 2025/2026.
Why do we monitor body temperature? - ANS - To screen for illness and infection
- Make clinical decisions regarding diagnosis and initiation of medical therapy
- Monitoring endpoint for assessing patient response to drug therapy
What is considered normal ORAL body temperature? - ANS 36.5 C to 37.5 C
How do you convert Celsius to Fahrenheit? - ANS F = (9/5 x C) + 32
How do you convert Fahrenheit to Celsius? - ANS C = (F - 32) * 5/9
What is considered a fever (oral)? - ANS Greater than 37.5 C
What is considered a fever (rectal)? - ANS Greater than 38 C
What temperature is considered hyperpyrexia (oral)? - ANS Greater than 41.0 C
What temperature is considered hyperpyrexia (rectal)? - ANS Greater than 41.5 C
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,What temperature is considered hypothermia (oral)? - ANS Less than 35.0 C
What temperature is considered hypothermia (rectal)? - ANS Less than 35.5 C
How is rectal temperature different from oral temperature readings? - ANS 0.5 C higher
How is axilla/temporal temperature different from oral temperature readings? - ANS 0.5 C to
1.0 C lower
How is tympanic temperature different from oral temperature readings? - ANS 0.5 C to 1.0 C
higher than oral
What routes can be used with a digital thermometer? - ANS Oral, rectal and axilla
What are the advantages of using a digital thermometer? - ANS - Cost effective
- Readily available
- Fairly quick (10s)
- Can be used for multiple routes
What are the disadvantages of using a digital thermometer? - ANS Invasive
What are the advantages of using a tympanic thermometer? - ANS - Non-invasive
- Immediate results
- Validated in sedated patients
What are the disadvantages of using a tympanic thermometer? - ANS - Expensive
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, - Difficult to use in young infants (EAC curves upwards)
- Accuracy depends on correct technique
- Not as accurate as rectal
How does a tympanic thermometer work? - ANS Uses a sensor probe to measure infrared
heat produced by tympanic membrane (shares its blood supply with the hypothalamus)
Why is technique important when taking temperature with a tympanic thermometer? -
ANS Probe needs to be positioned in the external auditory canal (EAC) at the appropriate
angle to get an accurate reading - the position of this changes with age
How does a temporal artery thermometer work? - ANS Measures naturally emitted infrared
heat from the temporal artery
What routes can you use a temporal artery thermometer in? - ANS forehead and axilla
What are the advantages of using a temporal artery thermometer? - ANS - Non-invasive
- More accurate than tympanic (less accurate than rectal)
What are the disadvantages of using a temporal artery thermometer? - ANS - Expensive
- requires skin contact
- not readily available
How does a infrared contactless thermometer work? - ANS Uses a sensor probe to measure
infrared emitted heat
What are the advantages of using a infrared contactless thermometer? - ANS - non-invasive
- non-contact (prevent cross contamination)
3 | Page @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
QUESTIONS WITH 100% CORRECT
ANSWERS | LATEST VERSION 2025/2026.
Why do we monitor body temperature? - ANS - To screen for illness and infection
- Make clinical decisions regarding diagnosis and initiation of medical therapy
- Monitoring endpoint for assessing patient response to drug therapy
What is considered normal ORAL body temperature? - ANS 36.5 C to 37.5 C
How do you convert Celsius to Fahrenheit? - ANS F = (9/5 x C) + 32
How do you convert Fahrenheit to Celsius? - ANS C = (F - 32) * 5/9
What is considered a fever (oral)? - ANS Greater than 37.5 C
What is considered a fever (rectal)? - ANS Greater than 38 C
What temperature is considered hyperpyrexia (oral)? - ANS Greater than 41.0 C
What temperature is considered hyperpyrexia (rectal)? - ANS Greater than 41.5 C
1 | Page @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
,What temperature is considered hypothermia (oral)? - ANS Less than 35.0 C
What temperature is considered hypothermia (rectal)? - ANS Less than 35.5 C
How is rectal temperature different from oral temperature readings? - ANS 0.5 C higher
How is axilla/temporal temperature different from oral temperature readings? - ANS 0.5 C to
1.0 C lower
How is tympanic temperature different from oral temperature readings? - ANS 0.5 C to 1.0 C
higher than oral
What routes can be used with a digital thermometer? - ANS Oral, rectal and axilla
What are the advantages of using a digital thermometer? - ANS - Cost effective
- Readily available
- Fairly quick (10s)
- Can be used for multiple routes
What are the disadvantages of using a digital thermometer? - ANS Invasive
What are the advantages of using a tympanic thermometer? - ANS - Non-invasive
- Immediate results
- Validated in sedated patients
What are the disadvantages of using a tympanic thermometer? - ANS - Expensive
2 | Page @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
, - Difficult to use in young infants (EAC curves upwards)
- Accuracy depends on correct technique
- Not as accurate as rectal
How does a tympanic thermometer work? - ANS Uses a sensor probe to measure infrared
heat produced by tympanic membrane (shares its blood supply with the hypothalamus)
Why is technique important when taking temperature with a tympanic thermometer? -
ANS Probe needs to be positioned in the external auditory canal (EAC) at the appropriate
angle to get an accurate reading - the position of this changes with age
How does a temporal artery thermometer work? - ANS Measures naturally emitted infrared
heat from the temporal artery
What routes can you use a temporal artery thermometer in? - ANS forehead and axilla
What are the advantages of using a temporal artery thermometer? - ANS - Non-invasive
- More accurate than tympanic (less accurate than rectal)
What are the disadvantages of using a temporal artery thermometer? - ANS - Expensive
- requires skin contact
- not readily available
How does a infrared contactless thermometer work? - ANS Uses a sensor probe to measure
infrared emitted heat
What are the advantages of using a infrared contactless thermometer? - ANS - non-invasive
- non-contact (prevent cross contamination)
3 | Page @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
