Let's talk about stethoscopes.

Billy_Reuben · 7 months

Got a DRG PureTone Titanium about 2 years ago for two reasons:

I was being hipster and hating on monopolies.
Titanium, fuck yeah!

It's actually a piece of crap. Stick with Littman.

DrColon · 7 months

The biggest hindrances to auscultating good heart sounds are a rushed exam and too much ambient noise - and not the quality of the stethoscope. I have had my Littmann cardiology master for 17 years (high school graduation gift). I have replaced the tubing once, the diaphragm twice, and the ear pieces more time than I remember. It works well and I have no reason to replace it. It does have the "tunable diaphragm", and that is probably more of a gimmick than anything. I know I frequently pick up murmurs missed by other practitioners because I actually take the time to listen. While I was a resident I did a rotation in the GI clinic at the VA and I diagnosed 5 people with critical AS that had been missed by their primaries, all because I actually took a second to listen.

Sahasrara · 7 months

If anyone finds my Cardiology III, please let me know. I put it down somewhere.

implante · 7 months

Internal medicine intern here - I had a Littmann cardiology III in med school and got a Littmann Master Classic II at graduation. I only use the Master Classic II now. The cardiology III is nice for pediatrics because it has the little bell. The sounds are clearer for me in the Master Classic II.

I have one of these bad boys hooked onto it. They are FANTASTIC.

kylebarbour · 7 months

EMT here, applying to medical school. I found this very helpful:

http://www.forusdocs.com/reviews/Acoustic_Stethoscope_Review.htm

I'm not doing complicated stuff, so any cheap thing will do. But those reviews helped me realize that, and they might help your decisions too.

significantrisk · 7 months

This discussion crops up repeatedly wherever more than 3 med-people gather, and there's always much debate about the merits of one steth over another.

I thought the differentiation was important, until I saw the ICU consultants using those cheap and nasty semi-disposable steths with their patients. Even My 20yo battered bottom of the range littmann hand-me-down has those things beat from an engineering standpoint, so I figure it's more than good enough for dealing with regular sick people.

In terms if professional recommendations from superiors, I see the paeds guys opting for the paeds versions (smaller head) of the basic littmann models. Other than that, some people favour the lower-end cardiology models.

The only people I've seen using the fancier steths - and this includes cardiologists - are students who think they have magic powers.

One consultant explained it thusly - once the steth works, it doesn't matter. Like a violin, if you're very good at using the basic one you'll be able to get more from a fancy model - but even a Stradivarius won't make you a good musician.

jp2 · 7 months

Family medicine - went from cheapest Littmann's to Cardiology II and noticed a great improvement. I've tried fancier ones and didn't notice much of a difference, or at least not the same scale of improvement.

Studdy · 7 months

I have the Welch Allyn Harvey DLX Double Head. I think it's awesome.

mrsmalls · 7 months

I have a Littman lightweight and sometimes I can't even hear an apical.

http://www.amazon.com/Littmann-Lightweight-Stethoscope-Black-L2450/dp/B001CCINO0

I actually pick up more with a $10 disposable steth

I'm thinking of grabbing a master classic or a master III?

WRad · 7 months

I use a Tycos and think it is really, really good, but it is pricey. If money weren't an issue, I would certainly recommend you get that one, but mine was a gift. If I had to pay for my own, I probably wouldn't have wanted to splurge.

ScurvyDervish · 7 months

I think Ultrascopes sound pretty good for the price.

a1g9c88 · 7 months

I've got a Cardio III, black edition. It's sweet.

shadowandlight · 7 months

Littman Cardio III hands down. I've owned mine for at least 7 years and it has lasted 10's of thousands of hours riding around in ambulances.

musicalwoods · 7 months

Med student here.

My bookstore had a sampling session where they had 6 Littmann models, 3 Welsh-Allyn models, and a few electronic ones to try. I recommend trying to find somewhere that'll allow you to test out each that you're interested in. I settled on the Littmann Cardiology S.T.C. and love it.

mrspistols · 7 months

I have a a Littman Cardiology and a Master Classic. Like both almost equal. Cardiology seems to block out noise better.

Anybody have a good recommendation for stethoscopes for morbidly obese patients? Sometimes the body habitus can make sounds so distant. Kinda surprised they haven't come out with something. I try alternate positions, but that can be tricky.

palster · 7 months

The best steth I've ever used is the Littmann Cardiology III, but I haven't tried any brand other than Littmann. Right now I use the Lightweight, and I don't find it any different from the Master Classic II I had before. It was a gift, and I actually prefer it to the Master Classic - it's much lighter, and it's easier to take the patient's blood pressure via the auscultatory method with it, because the diaphragm is a bit elongated, making it easier to place under the cuff. It's also easier to auscultate the abdomen and chest when you have to put the steth under the patient's clothes, again because it covers a greater surface area.

you'll need to login or register to do that

create a new account

login