Which method is commonly used to check body temperature in emergencies?

In emergency situations, tympanic thermometers are often preferred for measuring body temperature because they provide quick and accurate readings. The tympanic method specifically measures the infrared radiation emitted by the eardrum, which reflects the body's core temperature effectively. This method is advantageous in emergencies due to its speed, requiring only a few seconds for a reading, which is crucial in situations where time is of the essence, such as assessing fever in patients.

While other methods such as sublingual, rectal, and axillary thermometers can also measure temperature, they generally take longer to get a reading or may be less reliable in urgent scenarios. For instance, rectal thermometers, while very accurate, may not be practical for rapid assessments in an emergency due to the time and privacy issues involved. In contrast, the tympanic thermometer's non-invasive and rapid nature makes it the ideal choice for checking body temperature when quick decisions need to be made regarding a patient's health status.