Measuring Vital Signs
Vital signs give important information about basic body functions – blood pressure,
heart rate, breathing rate and temperature. Information about vital signs may be very
helpful when communicating with a physician about an ill individual. When
measuring vital signs, be sure to write down the results.
Heart rate (pulse rate):
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Put your index and middle finger over the underside of the wrist, below the
base of the thumb.
Press firmly with flat fingers until you feel the pulse (do not use your thumb
to measure the pulse).
While watching a clock, count the beats for one full minute or for 30 seconds
and multiply by 2. This is the heart rate.
Normal pulse or heart rate:
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Infants younger than 1 year – 100 to 160 beats per minute
Children 1 to 10 years – 70 to 120 beats per minute
Children older than 10 years to adults – 60 to 100 beats per minute
Well-trained athletes – 40 to 60 beats per minute
Blood pressure:
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Use an automated blood pressure monitor, if you have one. If possible, take it
to your doctor's office or pharmacy to have it checked for accuracy. Follow
the manufacturer's instructions for storage and use.
Breathing rate:
• Have the person lie down.
• Count how many times the chest rises for one full minute. This is the breathing rate.
Normal resting breathing rate, by age:
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Newborns – 44 breaths per minute
Infants – 20 to 40 breaths per minute
Preschool children – 20 to 30 breaths per minute
Older children – 16 to 25 breaths per minute
Adults – 14 to 18 breaths per minute
Older adults – 19 to 26 breaths per minute
Temperature:
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Can be taken from different parts of the body: mouth, rectum, ear or arm pit.
Follow directions for your thermometer.
Clean after each use.
Use different thermometers for each person, if possible.
See Thermometers and Fever Healthbeat for additional information on taking
a temperature.
Normal body temperatures:
Normal body temperatures vary from person to person. Body temperature is usually
lowest in the morning and highest later in the day.
Average body temperature from each body site:
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Oral (by mouth): 98.6 F (37 C)
Rectal (in the rectum): 99.6 F (37.5 C)
Ear: 99.6 F (37.5 C)
Axillary (in the arm pit, usually the least accurate): 97.6 F (36 C)
Illinois Department of Public Health
535 West Jefferson Street
Springfield, Illinois 62761
Phone 217-782-4977
Fax 217-782-3987
TTY 800-547-0466
Questions or Comments
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Thermometers and Fever
Printable PDF
Fevers
Your child may be sick, but not have a fever.
Although temperature is important, your child’s appearance and behavior are also
important signs of the severity of an illness. Any sudden change in your child’s
eating or sleeping habits is important, along with any irritability. If you are worried
about your child being sick, please call your doctor.
Choosing a thermometer
Digital thermometers
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Can be used in the mouth, rectum, or armpit
Can be used for people of any age
Are quick, easy to use and read
Ear thermometers (infrared thermometers)
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Small ear probe inserted gently into the ear canal
Can be used for people 6 months of age or older
Fever strips / pacifier thermometers / forehead thermometers
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Not as accurate as other types of thermometers
Glass thermometers containing mercury
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Do not use because mercury is toxic and can be released if the thermometer
breaks.
Do not throw it in the trash. Call your local government for disposal
instructions.
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Tips for taking temperature
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Always stay with your child when a thermometer is in place.
Keep separate, marked thermometers for rectal, oral and armpit readings.
Never use a thermometer to take an oral temperature after it has been used to
take a rectal temperature – even if it has been cleaned.
Read all directions before using the thermometer, and always follow the
manufacturer’s instructions exactly.
It may be helpful to practice on healthy family members to be sure you’re
using the thermometer correctly.
Choose thermometers that are easy for you to use.
Use a new disposable cover for each use; do not reuse disposable covers. If
you don’t have a cover, clean the thermometer after each use as advised by
the manufacturer.
Do not take an oral temperature if the person has a stuffy nose. Use the
rectum or armpit.
Do not smoke or eat/drink anything hot or cold for 10 minutes before taking
an oral temperature.
When you call the doctor, report the actual reading on the thermometer, and
say where the temperature was taken. Be sure to read decimal places
correctly—104° is not the same as 100.4°.
How to take a temperature
Oral temperature
Recommended for anyone older than 4 years of age who can cooperate and
understand directions.
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Make sure the child’s mouth is clear of gum, candy and food. Use a
disposable cover. Place the thermometer under the tongue, to one side of the
center, and close the lips tightly around it.
Follow thermometer instructions for how long to leave it in the mouth
Remove and read thermometer
Throw disposable cover in the trash; clean thermometer. Clean your hands.
Rectal temperature
Recommended for children younger than 4 years of age, anyone who cannot hold a
thermometer safely in their mouths or anyone who has a stuffy nose. Do not leave
the child alone when taking a rectal temperature. Rectal perforation can occur if the
thermometer is not used properly. Check with your doctor’s office before checking a
rectal temperature as some doctors prefer that parents use other methods.
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Use a disposable cover. Apply a lubricant or petroleum jelly (e.g. Vaseline®)
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on the end of the thermometer so it can be inserted easily into the rectum.
Turn babies or small children face down on your lap or on a flat, covered
surface, such as a bed.
Spread the buttocks with one hand and gently insert the thermometer end
about 1 inch into the rectum with your other hand.
Do not force the thermometer into the rectum. Hold it in place with two
fingers close to the rectum (not near the end of the thermometer) at all times.
Press the buttocks together to help keep the thermometer in place.
Follow thermometer instructions for how long to leave it in the rectum.
Remove and read the thermometer.
Throw disposable cover in the trash; clean thermometer. Clean your hands.
Ear temperature
Requires a special thermometer, that should only be used for checking ear
temperatures
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Not reliable before 6 months of age
On a cold day, your child should be indoors for at least 15 minutes before
taking an ear temperature.
If probe is not clean, wipe gently with a dry cloth. Do not put in water.
Use a disposable cover. Place probe in ear canal and turn thermometer on.
Infants 6 months to 1 year of age:
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Gently pull the earlobe down and back.
Center the probe tip in the ear and push gently inward toward the eardrum.
Children older than 1 year of age and adults:
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Gently pull the earlobe up and back.
Center the probe tip in the ear and push gently toward the eardrum.
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Press button. Follow thermometer instructions for how long to leave it in the
ear.
Remove and read the thermometer.
Throw disposable cover in the trash. Wipe the probe with a dry cloth and put
away.
Clean your hands.
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Armpit (axillary) temperature
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Make sure the armpit is dry.
Place the tip of the thermometer in the center of the armpit and make sure
skin surfaces are touching the thermometer.
Press the arm against the body.
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Follow thermometer instructions for how long to leave it in the armpit.
Remove and read the thermometer.
Throw away the disposable cover, if used, or clean and dry the thermometer
right away.
Normal body temperatures vary from person to person.
Average body temperature is:
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Oral: 98.6F (37C)
Rectal: 99.6F (37.5C)
Ear: 99.6F (37.5C)
Axillary: 97.6F (36C)
Body temperature is usually lowest in the morning
and highest later in the day.
Illinois Department of Public Health
535 West Jefferson Street
Springfield, Illinois 62761
Phone 217-782-4977
Fax 217-782-3987
TTY 800-547-0466
Questions or Comments
Kane County Health Department
Communicable Disease Reporting and Resource Manual for Schools and Child Care Centers
2nd Edition
V6
5/1/14