On October 14, 2020, the State Food and Drug Administration of China announced that from January 1, 2026, the production of mercury  thermometers and mercury blood pressure monitor will be completely prohibited. Mercury thermometer is cheap and easy to use, almost every household must have it. The reason why it will withdraw from the market is that the mercury is harmful to health and the environment.

Mercury thermometer has great potential safety hazard

Especially for families with children, once the mercury thermometer is accidentally broken, it may cause serious consequences. However, many people think that mercury thermometer is the most accurate thermometer, and they have doubts about the accuracy of other types of thermometers. At present, the common thermometers on the market mainly include electronic thermometer and infrared thermometer (such as ear thermometer gun and forehead thermometer gun). It is found that the electronic thermometer and infrared thermometer are as accurate and stable as the mercury thermometer, and the temperature measurement time is shorter than the mercury thermometer.

According to the Verification Regulation of Medical Electronic Thermometers officially implemented on March 31, 2020, the maximum allowable error of medical electronic thermometer is ± (0.1-0.2) ℃, which is almost the same as the maximum error of mercury thermometer (-0.15-0.1) ℃,  so we do not need to worry about the accuracy of electronic thermometer and infrared etc. thermometers.

What are the characteristics of electronic thermometer and infrared thermometer respectively?

The temperature measurement principle of the electronic thermometer is to use the temperature sensor to output electrical signals. According to the national standard GB/T 21416-2008 Medical Electronic Thermometers, the maximum allowable error of electronic thermometer within the range of 35.3-41.0 ℃ is ± 0.2 ℃, which means the error of qualified medical electronic thermometer within this temperature range is only 0.2 ℃. The electronic thermometer is suitable for people over 0 years of age. It is convenient to read, safe to use, and has high measurement accuracy. It can measure armpit temperature, oral temperature, and anal temperature. However, compared with the infrared thermometer, the measurement time is slightly longer, ranging from 30 seconds to 3 minutes or more, and it is necessary to maintain a fixed position when measuring, the measuring position should be correct, which is not suitable for younger children.

The temperature measurement principle of the infrared thermometer is that the infrared thermal radiation of the human body is focused on the detector, and the detector converts the radiation power into electrical signals. Ear thermometer is a contact infrared thermometer. According to GB/T 21417.1-2008 Medical Infrared Thermometers - Part 1: Ear Cavity Type, the qualified ear thermometer is within the temperature display range of 35.0-42.0 ℃, and the maximum allowable error is also ± 0.2 ℃. Ear thermometer is suitable for baby over 6 months. It is fast and convenient, and the measurement time is short. Pay attention to correct use when measuring, if the eardrum is not aligned during measurement, the accuracy may be affected. Children of different ages use different measuring methods, when measuring ear temperature for infants under 3 years old, they need to be lifted the auricle backward, outward and downward, and when they are over 3 years old, they need to lift it backward, outward and upward to put the ear thermometers in the correct position. The ear canal of infants under 6 months old is narrow, so it is not suitable to use ear thermometers.

Forehead thermometers is a non-contact infrared thermometer, which is suitable for people over 0 years of age, with accurate measurement and fast measurement speed. It is especially suitable for kindergartens, amusement parks, airports, railway stations and other places where there is a large flow of people who need to quickly screen patients with fever. However, its accuracy is easily affected by many factors, such as external ambient temperature, skin dryness, etc.

How to select a thermometer?

When buying household thermometers, be sure to choose qualified products of regular brands, such as Pangao, which has certificated by CE and FDA. Before use, you need to carefully read the product manual, especially the precautions for use, and master the correct measurement method to know the how to measure an accurate temperature. If the temperature exceeds the normal range, it is recommended to go to the hospital for further examination, find out the cause of fever and treat symptomatically as soon as possible.