“Nintey-nine point two,” my daughter Bonnie said, her voice sounding weak as she looked at the small digital thermometer.

“That’s great,” my wife told her. “You’re probably feeling a lot better.”

We were all in the living room, watching the Kansas University-Kansas State University game last week on TV.

And while the score was going up — the Jayhawks were leading K-State 32 to 26 at the half — Bonnie’s temperature had been coming down from a high of 104.4.

The offense was working for KU. And the acetaminophen was working for Bonnie.

Digital devices

The digital thermometer that Bonnie was using to check her fever was several years old. It took 20 seconds to get a reading.

And that led me to wonder what else was out there that might be faster and better — I’d seen some that gave instant readings.

Mark Smith, pharmacist at Orchards Drug, 1410 Kasold Drive, gave me a run down on digital thermometers for home use.

Some are oral/rectal, while some measure body temperature through the ear canal, Smith said.

I also found some online that even measure the temperature of your forehead.

Smith gave me his recommendations:

• For an adult (or a child old enough to place it under his or her tongue), get an oral digital thermometer.


Timex AccuCurve Talking Adult Oral Thermometer takes your temperature in about 30 seconds.

“Most of them have readouts these days that beep at you when they’re done,” Smith said. “The older ones used to flash. If you’re taking your own temperature, it’s hard to see anything that’s like two inches from your nose. The ones that beep at you are much nicer. They’ll let you know when it’s done and when you can take it out.”

• For a baby, you can use an oral thermometer rectally or under an arm.

“You just have to make a calculation of one degree,” he said. “It’s going to be cooler under the arm than it is the tongue. Likewise, rectal temperature is going to be one degree warmer than it is under the tongue.”

Mark Smith, pharmacist at Orchards Drug, on digitial thermometers What would you recommend for an adult, a child or a baby? Braun ear thermometers Musical pacifier thermometer

If you’re not comfortable taking a temperature rectally, he said, ear thermometers are an option.

“They’re very fast and supposedly effective,” he said. “I have less faith in them than the manufacturers.”

Smith said he had seen pacifier-style thermometers for babies.

“I’ll be honest. I’m not real certain about their accuracy,” he said. “But I expect they’re probably accurate enough to let you know if your baby’s got a temperature and whether it’s high or moderately high.”

Quick reads

The thermometer we had been using on Bonnie said it took 20 seconds to get a reading. But I noticed that most of the newer models take readings in 10 second or less.

And that can be helpful if you have a whining, sick youngster.

The latest in ear-canal thermometers was unveiled last week by Welch Allyn, a leading international medical products manufacturer.

The company announced it had come out with the Braun ThermoScan PRO 4000.

The big claim was that it is “the only electronic ear thermometer with a preheated probe and sensor for reliable temperature readings on patients of all ages.”

It was pretty easy to tell it was aimed for the medical professionals’ market — the cost was $175.

I found four other Braun ThermoScan consumer models, which ranged from about $55 to $30. They all read temperatures instantly or in just a few seconds.

No thermo NUK device?

I was a little surprised that I couldn’t find a NUK orthodontic pacifier outfitted with a thermometer.

But I found several pacifier-style thermometers, which ranged in price from about $10 to $20.

One of the more interesting ones was the Musical Pacifier Thermometer by OneStepAhead (onestepahead.com), which was going for $12.95.

“Plays a gentle lullaby when fever exceeds 99.5 degrees,” the manufacturer said.

It takes readings in about 90 seconds, which is slow compared to other thermometers.

Timex makes a model, the Timex AccuCurve Talking Adult Oral Thermometer, which is a little different than the others.

The curve of the tip curls down so it can hang from your mouth. It’s a little slow — it takes your temperature in about 30 seconds.

I also found a variety of forehead digital thermometers, ranging in price from about $24 to $60. They measure the temperature of the temporal artery, which runs across the forehead.

Hammacher Schlemmer has one that talks.

The company said the device “announces its results aloud in a clear voice in just two seconds, for quick and easy readings even when monitoring a restless child.”

False alarm

Bonnie had finally gotten over the Type A flu. But I had been worried about catching it myself — especially a few nights later, after the Jayhawks lost to Missouri.

I was feeling kind of down. And I was starting to shiver.

“Is anybody else cold?” I asked.

I felt my forehead. It was warm, but, then again, my hands were cold. I started looking around for the digital thermometer.

But then I saw why I might be cold — the garage door was slightly ajar. I closed it and checked the furnace thermostat.

It was 62 degrees.

I put on a KU sweatshirt, and immediately felt a lot better.