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The article talks about thermometers being rejected by some doctors who thought fevers were more qualitative... they're not wrong. Different people have differ

The article talks about thermometers being rejected by some doctors who thought fevers were more qualitative... they're not wrong. Different people have different average body temperatures, so a fever for one person might not be a fever for another person [1]. Obviously it's not smart for a doctor to reject the idea of knowing internal body temperatures at least to have as a data point, but those doctors weren't COMPLETELY off base. https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/normal-body-temperature https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/normal-body-temperature

chapium 8y ago
Wouldn’t it be useful to have a tool like a thermometer to establish a baseline value?
- arama471 8y ago
  if they've already got the fever then it's a bit late for that
  - derefr 8y ago
    Seems like it'd make sense to go into your doctor at some point when you're perfectly healthy and let them measure a bunch of baseline values to put in your medical file.
    - nradov 8y ago
      Body temperature for an individual patient can vary significantly based on time of day, activity level, diet, menstrual cycle, etc. A single point measurement taken once every two years doesn't really give a useful baseline and might even be misleading.
      - deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
      - docbrown 8y ago
        Within the parent comment and beyond, it seems people are putting emphasis on a change in temperature but do not state a deviation from the average 98.2°. Even if we did have it though, I don’t think having a longitudinal look at someone’s vital signs (VS) would be misleading in any sense. It establishes a baseline history of the person and deviations will be put in context with the addition charting notes from that visit. While I do agree with a single point not being enough information, nobody is looking at body temperature alone when diagnosing a patient— unless they’re reaching internal temperatures of below 95° and above ~100.9 for hypothermia or hyperthermia respectfully. With each diagnosis there are /x/ number of signs and symptoms that go along with it so it is crucial that we gather as much information on all the VS we can, no matter how minuscule the data may seem.
    - Swizec 8y ago
      It's like my bird's vet said once: If you start measuring, you're gonna find stuff. The more you dig, the more you find. Does it mean your bird is sick? Eh look at him, does he look like a sick bird? My girlfriend can be very ... concerned. We spent $1000 in vet bills before a real avian expert was like "Guys, he's fine. Look how happy he is. He just loves the attention." Apparently one of his tests for vet interns is to tell them "This bird is sick. Figure it out". Then he gives them a perfectly healthy bird. Their bias always makes them find something. Caused by their tests half the time because they're stressing the bird.
      - QuercusMax 8y ago
        I've heard similar sentiments around looking at API monitoring graphs when you're not investigating a specific problem. Weird stuff happens all the time, and most of the time it's no big deal.
      - cbluth 8y ago
        I have similar sentiments towards the health of humans.
      - Fomite 8y ago
        "Diagnostic stewardship" is currently a hot topic in infection control and antimicrobial resistance work for exactly this reason. If we look hard enough, we'll find something to give you antibiotics for, even if you don't need them.
      - throwaway287391 8y ago
        > Apparently one of his tests for vet interns is to tell them "This bird is sick. Figure it out". Then he gives them a perfectly healthy bird. Their bias always makes them find something. Seems like the "bias" in that case is likely due to an authority figure intentionally misleading them in the context of a "test", where one naturally assumes they're not being deceived by the very premise of said test? If an actual bird owner came in as a client and said the same (or if the test explicitly told them to assume this is the situation), the interns might very well still realize the client is wrong.
- f39uyc3 8y ago
  That might be why they take my temperature whenever I go for a regular checkup, or non-cold/flu/fever related concerns? Procedures aren't the same between clinics, though.

chapium 8y ago

Wouldn’t it be useful to have a tool like a thermometer to establish a baseline value?

arama471 8y ago
if they've already got the fever then it's a bit late for that
- derefr 8y ago
  Seems like it'd make sense to go into your doctor at some point when you're perfectly healthy and let them measure a bunch of baseline values to put in your medical file.
  - nradov 8y ago
    Body temperature for an individual patient can vary significantly based on time of day, activity level, diet, menstrual cycle, etc. A single point measurement taken once every two years doesn't really give a useful baseline and might even be misleading.
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
    - docbrown 8y ago
      Within the parent comment and beyond, it seems people are putting emphasis on a change in temperature but do not state a deviation from the average 98.2°. Even if we did have it though, I don’t think having a longitudinal look at someone’s vital signs (VS) would be misleading in any sense. It establishes a baseline history of the person and deviations will be put in context with the addition charting notes from that visit. While I do agree with a single point not being enough information, nobody is looking at body temperature alone when diagnosing a patient— unless they’re reaching internal temperatures of below 95° and above ~100.9 for hypothermia or hyperthermia respectfully. With each diagnosis there are /x/ number of signs and symptoms that go along with it so it is crucial that we gather as much information on all the VS we can, no matter how minuscule the data may seem.
  - Swizec 8y ago
    It's like my bird's vet said once: If you start measuring, you're gonna find stuff. The more you dig, the more you find. Does it mean your bird is sick? Eh look at him, does he look like a sick bird? My girlfriend can be very ... concerned. We spent $1000 in vet bills before a real avian expert was like "Guys, he's fine. Look how happy he is. He just loves the attention." Apparently one of his tests for vet interns is to tell them "This bird is sick. Figure it out". Then he gives them a perfectly healthy bird. Their bias always makes them find something. Caused by their tests half the time because they're stressing the bird.
    - QuercusMax 8y ago
      I've heard similar sentiments around looking at API monitoring graphs when you're not investigating a specific problem. Weird stuff happens all the time, and most of the time it's no big deal.
    - cbluth 8y ago
      I have similar sentiments towards the health of humans.
    - Fomite 8y ago
      "Diagnostic stewardship" is currently a hot topic in infection control and antimicrobial resistance work for exactly this reason. If we look hard enough, we'll find something to give you antibiotics for, even if you don't need them.
    - throwaway287391 8y ago
      > Apparently one of his tests for vet interns is to tell them "This bird is sick. Figure it out". Then he gives them a perfectly healthy bird. Their bias always makes them find something. Seems like the "bias" in that case is likely due to an authority figure intentionally misleading them in the context of a "test", where one naturally assumes they're not being deceived by the very premise of said test? If an actual bird owner came in as a client and said the same (or if the test explicitly told them to assume this is the situation), the interns might very well still realize the client is wrong.
f39uyc3 8y ago
That might be why they take my temperature whenever I go for a regular checkup, or non-cold/flu/fever related concerns? Procedures aren't the same between clinics, though.