What's a good stethoscope to buy?

[snowhite]

I purchased a stethoscope listed in the school-required medical list and I've noticed that it's really hard to hear anything with it. Yesterday, when I began a clinical experience, my mentor used hers to listen to heart and respiratory sounds OVER clothes and said she could still hear things whereas I tried with mine and couldn't hear a darned thing.

So, what's a good stethoscope to buy? Are there ones that make it easier to hear?

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[Carm]

I like any of the Littmans. Classic, Cardiology III, etc.

Some of it may have been your stethescope, some of it may have been experience. It sounds crazy to think that you will 'hear better' with experience, but you will see it again and again. At first you are lucky if you hear the heart and some breath sounds (just kidding, kind of). After time you will start to pick up on obvious murmurs and minor changes in lung sounds. If you continue to fine tune your skills like a cardiologist, you will be to heart sounds what the Sideways boys were to wine. It is impressive to watch.

You may need a new stethescope, but what will really help is to come back and listen every time you hear someone says "he has a murmur."

 

[Chronic Student]

The other thing to do is get your hearing checked. It was remarked several times during the first part of my clinicals that I should be able to hear things that I wasn't picking up.

I got my hearing tested and I have pretty bad high-frequency deficits. I purchased an amplified stethoscope and was able to hear much better. It does take awhile to get used to the amplified stethoscopes though. They are very sensitve about where you place them on the chest.

-Mike

 

[deleted87716]

I purchased a stethoscope listed in the school-required medical list and I've noticed that it's really hard to hear anything with it. Yesterday, when I began a clinical experience, my mentor used hers to listen to heart and respiratory sounds OVER clothes and said she could still hear things whereas I tried with mine and couldn't hear a darned thing.

Next time, ask if you can listen using her stethoscope to see if it's the instrument or your ears. Generally, you shouldn't listen through clothing if at all possible.

 

[Hurricane]

Cardiologists are often the first to tell you that the most important part of the stethoscope is the part between the earpieces (i.e your brain).

Ask to listen with your attending's. Chances are it's your inexperienced brain and not the hardware.

Not meaning that in a smug way - I still have trouble with the more subtle heart sound findings. But I've listened some of my friends' more expensive Littmans on occassion, and it sounds exactly the same as my less expensive Tycos to me. The only time I could tell a difference between stethoscopes was with one of my IM attendings - he had this crazy thing that had a battery-powered amplifier in it.

 

[pillowhead]

I purchased a stethoscope listed in the school-required medical list and I've noticed that it's really hard to hear anything with it. Yesterday, when I began a clinical experience, my mentor used hers to listen to heart and respiratory sounds OVER clothes and said she could still hear things whereas I tried with mine and couldn't hear a darned thing.

So, what's a good stethoscope to buy? Are there ones that make it easier to hear?

Just to echo others, it's probably just lack of experience. I, too, have the less common and more looked down upon Tycos Harvery stethescope, but I really like it. I've listend with others (the cardio III, etc) , and it sounds the same to me.

 

[deleted87716]

I, too, have the less common and more looked down upon Tycos Harvery stethescope, but I really like it. I've listend with others (the cardio III, etc) , and it sounds the same to me.

Even though two people have already mentioned the Harvey Elite, I'll put in yet another plug for it. I think the Harvey Elite has better acoustics than any current-model Littmann stethoscope. And believe me, I've tried 'em all.

 

[bulldog]

littman has the master cardiology which functions as regular when pressed down and bell when less pressure is applied. don't get it. i have it and i'd say it makes no difference between the master cardiology and the cheaper classic littman whcih i got as a gift and was like 1/2 or 1/3 of the price.

 

[deleted87716]

So, what's a good stethoscope to buy? Are there ones that make it easier to hear?

Check out this thread and this thread. Lots of good info there.

 

[OSUdoc08]

I purchased a stethoscope listed in the school-required medical list and I've noticed that it's really hard to hear anything with it. Yesterday, when I began a clinical experience, my mentor used hers to listen to heart and respiratory sounds OVER clothes and said she could still hear things whereas I tried with mine and couldn't hear a darned thing.

So, what's a good stethoscope to buy? Are there ones that make it easier to hear?

Get a DRG Pure Tone: http://www.allheart.com/newdrgitems.html

Forget Littman.

 

[generic]

i got both littmann cardio III and DRG cardiology Ti

littmann is better!

 

[lord_jeebus]

i got both littmann cardio III and DRG cardiology Ti

littmann is better!

I've used Cardio III and DRG Staff Cardio and prefer the DRG, but there's not a huge difference. It really comes down to personal preference, and perhaps anatomical variation in the ears.

DRG Pros: Jelly earpieces, not the same scope everyone else has, "Bose Technology" (read: little metal things in the tubing) reduces noise from rubbing against the tubing.

DRG Cons: The tubing does not bend as easily as other scopes and stuffing it into your pocket quickly is more difficult. I've found that it gets better with time.

 

[Random]

I ended up with both the Cardio III from my grandparents and the Harvey Elite from our alumni society and generally the Elite does seem to have better acoustics but since all of my attendings seem to use Littmanns, I've been using that lately. That said, I really do like the Elite and my not noticing a big difference between the two scopes may just be a result of my inexperience. Ultimately, though, it just seems to come down to practice and getting used to your scope. I think many of us have had that attending or resident who'd demonstrate something with one of those isolation room stethoscopes

To the OP, just a thought: if your scope's been in a pocket or bag for too long, just check to make sure that the eartubes and bell aren't blocked by lint or something. No sense in buying a new scope if you can get away with an easy fix.

 

[sdnetrocks]

I suggest you buy this one:

http://www.stethoscope.com/index.cfm?event=ProductDetail&ProductID=59

Then, prepare to get laughed at when you still don't hear anything.

 

[AlwaysLearning]

Hey everyone-

I just wanted to let you know that there is a spammer in the community who is regularly posting faulty "advice" on DRG stethoscopes ALL over blogs on the internet. I did some research/googling and it happens to be a marketing exec who is trying to turn the company around and start selling some sub-optimal stethoscopes at premium prices. Just for kicks, I ordered a DRG off of allheart, and it turned out to be a big piece of junk. The tubing smells like rubber tires (and not that nice new tubing smell that goes away), the whole "disposable" diaphragm deal is a huge joke, and the piece I received had all sorts of manufacturing flaws. This isn't to say that there might not be a good DRG model out there- but the one I tried (DRG PureTone) turned out to be a piece of heavy, cumbersome junk. Stick with the name brands, and you'll have better luck.

I'll post this around on some of the blogs that the spammer spammed so that some poor med student or new resident won't be fooled.

 

[Richie Truxillo]

Here's a link to my Littman Master Cardiology III.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FLittmann-Master-Cardiology-Stethoscope-2160%2Fdp%2FB000BMSGBC%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dhpc%26qid%3D1189051446%26sr%3D8-9&tag=richitruxi-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325

Picked up many a murmur with the thing so far. I upgraded from a classic SE II last year. Well worth the 200 bucks I paid for it thus far.

-Richie

 

[domer621]

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Littmann-4...5-2536167?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1189980161&sr=1-1

Accept no substitute.

 

[Richie Truxillo]

I almost bought that electronic one but didn't have the fundage to do it Darn you student loans!

 

[costales]

I'm using a Littman Classic II SE.
But then...

You might need to have your ear sensitivity checked. Or have you tried asking your mentor whether you can try her steth? If you can't hear anything, then it's your ear. If you can hear nicely, then it's the steth. Don't worry, even if you have some problem with your ear, I'm sure there are stethoscopes you can use.

I'm sure the OP got what she needed in 2006.

 

[Farmer2DO]

I'll never own anything but a Littmann. My first one was run over by a snow plow; I used it for another 3 years, before it was stolen!

I prefer the single sided bells (Master Classic and Master Cardiology) and the Master Classic comes in Veterinarian length tube (longer), which I also prefer.

 

[BloodGrace]

Looks like you need a special one. If you've got hearing impairment, you gotta get one of those with electronic amplification.