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When a client has been drinking fluids, how long do you wait before taking an oral temperature?

A) 10-15 minutes
B) 35-45 minutes
C) 5-10 minutes
D) about an hour

User VDP
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

To accurately take an oral temperature after fluid intake, wait approximately 10-15 minutes. Diuresis, related to fluid intake, starts about 30 minutes after drinking, but this does not directly relate to oral temperature timing.

Step-by-step explanation:

When taking an oral temperature after a client has consumed fluids, especially something like a cold or hot beverage that can skew the temperature reading, it's appropriate to wait a sufficient amount of time for the mouth to return to its baseline temperature. According to standard guidelines, a wait time of about 15 to 30 minutes is recommended. However, since none of the provided options exactly matches this recommendation, the closest would be to wait 10-15 minutes (Option A) before measuring the oral temperature to ensure accuracy. Drinking a large quantity of fluid generally triggers diuresis, or increased urine production, within about 30 minutes, reaching a peak after an hour. This physiological response, while related to beverage consumption, is a separate consideration from the impact on oral temperature.

User Sandeep Malik
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