Skip to main navigation
Skip to main content
Skip to footer
For
Medicare
For
Providers
For
Brokers
For
Employers
EspañolFor Individuals & Families:
For Individuals & Families
Shop for Plans
Shop for Plans
Shop for your own coverage
Medical
Dental
Other Supplemental
Plans through your employer
Learn about the medical, dental, pharmacy, behavioral, and voluntary benefits your employer may offer.
Explore coverage through work
Learn
How to Buy Health Insurance
Types of Dental Insurance
Open Enrollment vs. Special Enrollment
See all topics
Looking for Medicare coverage?
Shop for Medicare plans
Member Guide
Find a Doctor
Medical
Dental
Other Supplemental
Explore coverage through work
How to Buy Health Insurance
Types of Dental Insurance
Open Enrollment vs. Special Enrollment
See all topics
Shop for Medicare plans
Member Guide
Find a Doctor
Log in to myCigna
HomeKnowledge CenterWellness LibraryRectal Temperature
Rectal Temperature
A rectal thermometer is the most accurate way to take a temperature.
To take a rectal temperature:
Apply a lubricant jelly or petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, on the bulb of the thermometer, so that you can insert it easily.
Choose a quiet place so that the child won't be distracted or move around too much. When measuring the temperature of babies or small children:
Place your child faceup with legs bent toward the chest with your hand on the back of the thighs or holding the feet as if you were changing a diaper.
Place the child facedown on your lap or on a flat covered or padded surface, such as a bed.
Gently insert the bulb end of the rectal thermometer about 0.6 in. (1.5 cm) to 1 in. (2.5 cm) into the anal canal. Don't force it into the rectum. Hold the thermometer in place with two fingers close to the anal opening (not near the end of the thermometer).
Leave the thermometer in place for the required amount of time, usually a minute. Some digital thermometers give a series of short beeps when the reading is done. Time yourself with a watch or clock.
Remove the thermometer and read it.
Clean a digital thermometer with cool, soapy water, and rinse it off before putting it away.
After a thermometer has been used to take a rectal temperature, do not use it to take an oral temperature.
Current as of: November 13, 2022
Author: Healthwise Staff
Clinical Review Board: All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.
To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise.org.
Get an ID card
File a claim
View my claims and EOBs
Check coverage under my plan
See prescription drug list
Find an in-network doctor, dentist, or facility
Find a form
Find 1095-B tax form information
View the Cigna Glossary
Contact Cigna
Audiences
Individuals and Families
Medicare
Employers
Brokers
Providers
Secure Member Sites
myCigna member portal
Health Care Provider portal
Cigna for Employers
Client Resource Portal
Cigna for Brokers
The Cigna Group Information
About Cigna Healthcare
Company Profile
Careers
Newsroom
Investors
Suppliers
The Cigna Group
Third Party Administrators
International
Evernorth
Cigna. All rights reserved.
Privacy
Legal
Product Disclosures
Cigna Company Names
Customer Rights
Accessibility
Non-Discrimination Notice
Language Assistance [PDF]
Report Fraud
Sitemap
Cookie Settings
Disclaimer
Individual and family medical and dental insurance plans are insured by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company (CHLIC), Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Illinois, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Georgia, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of North Carolina, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of South Carolina, Inc., and Cigna HealthCare of Texas, Inc. Group health insurance and health benefit plans are insured or administered by CHLIC, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company (CGLIC), or their affiliates (see
a listing of the legal entities
that insure or administer group HMO, dental HMO, and other products or services in your state). Accidental Injury, Critical Illness, and Hospital Care plans or insurance policies are distributed exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, are administered by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, and are insured by either (i) Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company (Bloomfield, CT); (ii) Life Insurance Company of North America (“LINA”) (Philadelphia, PA); or (iii) New York Life Group Insurance Company of NY (“NYLGICNY”) (New York, NY), formerly known as Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York. The Cigna name, logo, and other Cigna marks are owned by Cigna Intellectual Property, Inc. LINA and NYLGICNY are not affiliates of Cigna.
All insurance policies and group benefit plans contain exclusions and limitations. For availability, costs and complete details of coverage, contact a licensed agent or Cigna sales representative. This website is not intended for residents of New Mexico.
Selecting these links will take you away from Cigna.com to another website, which may be a non-Cigna website. Cigna may not control the content or links of non-Cigna websites.
Details