Stethoscopes

What do you think is thelonger tube stethoscope, there's not complete information about this in the sites, one thing I learned: quality of sounds was suposed to be better with shortest tubes but it's a myth, I would like to have a bigger colection of steths I have a classic litman, going to buy a sprague and would like to have a real longer steth

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what would be your favorite colour of stethoscope as for exmining or being examined?

Black solid

Hi Amaral,

I have a huge collection of stethoscopes and can say that longer tubes don't really degrade sound, what I can say is that you pick up more background noise with longer tubes as they are more likely to rub on things.

I have noticed very subtle differences with longer tubes.

I did do an experiment using a coiled BP hose once and it sounded now where near as bad as I thought it would.

Though some would disagree I have personally found sprague scopes very poor in sound quality and comfort.

If you are used to Littmann, its worth spending a bit and getting a cardiology III. I love mine, its like my best friend.

As far as best sound, I would have to say the tycos harvey elite and DLX double / triple has the best sound.

The DLX has no non-chill rings, its lovely and cold 😃 but also very heavy, you can get one hell of a swing going if you are running with it hanging round your neck.

Hope this helps

I have noticed that doctors and nurses seem to use a standard length stethoscope, I haven't really seen any long ones, a few short ones. I have noticed several nurses that have a cloth sleeve around the tubes of the the stethoscope, I am not really sure what that is for.

Mash4077th:

it helped a lot -thank you. I have only a littman classic II and I'm very satysfied with the quality of sounds. Neverthelees I have 2 interests, the first is to combine madical play with knowledge and for that I keep studying and practicing everytime I can. Concerning auscultaion (and I'm at this time mainly focused on one only female patient - my girlfriend), I try to keep my time listening and making several experinces. In this case lungs are not a problem - lung sounds are allwys clear and clean. Concerning the heart exam, last one was the most thorough I ever gave. Pulses, inspection, palpation and ausculation in several positions with several manoeuvres, checking pulses durong auscultaion, etc etc. She seems healthy (thank god, and she's very young, 2😎, but then she's perfect for me to practice all the skills I want to know better.

So this was the first point.

The second is that we are playing, so we also must give pleasure to our partner. - she loves the cold touch of the stethoscope and littman doesn't give that.

In another way I only have this stethoscope and think there is time to have a bigger collection, so I must have one or two reference diagnosis quality and may have another one (or two), more directed to play but with a minimum of quality, cause for me if I don't have quality ausculation I loose my interst.

So there are 3 things: the colour that is important to her, the "cold touch" that is also important for her and last I realli have some fetish about having a longer one.

I have only one steh - the litt, now I'm about to buy the second (think it will be an amazing coloured sprague), and in a near future with more money I will want a "rolls royce of steths".

thanks

p

Black of course. Seeing black and chrome together is exciting. My Littman is black and my Sprague is dark blue.

I am more used to seeing a doctor with a black stethoscope, so I guess I will go with black, it seems more professional. I have noticed a lot of nurses using different colours of stethoscopes.

I have to agree with Kimberly; the black stethoscope seems more authentic and professional. It is also the color of the one that I own!

Heather, Portland, OR, USA

I would be excited to see a doctor wearing a gold stethoscope. It would be the ultimate sign of authority and would also give the impression the doctor was in love with themself. I like black also. The only one I am not keen on really is purple.

The black seems a bit domineering, kind of cool, but then the baby blue one is kind of nice, gentle, I think that it depends on the mood you're going for.

Red or Pink

Just curious. does anyone know the difference between the big headed steths and the small headed ones i`ve seen them both but i dont` know tha difference

I don't know exactly.

All that I know is that my doc use the small one on the back (for listening lungs perhaps?) and the big one on the chest (I think for the heart).

It's a good question!!! 😉

Each are tuned for a different frequency, either high or low. The Littman Cardiology series have a variable frequency depending on how much pressure is applied. Most electronic stethoscopes have frequency selection filters as well.

The bell will pick up lower pitched sounds that would be missed with the diaphragm, while the diaphragm will pick up higher pitched sounds that would be missed with the bell. The bell is applied with very light pressure. If you press down with the bell, it pulls the skin tight across the opening of the bell and basically makes the skin act as a diaphragm. Firmer pressure can be used with the diaphragm. Smaller diameter chestpieces are for pediatric use.

Steth explained it well , nothing to add.

online... bell or diaphragm, for first sharings online always test with bell , more audible sounds,

some people asked me in chat on private, here's a youtube link for steth-mic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqjxOapIKbE

[quote author=Mash4077th link=topic=21416.msg218916#msg218916 date=1244902523]

Personally I like them to wear black ones. I think they look more professional. And truth be known, it's a real turn on for me when he has his scope around his neck, a huge turn on as a matter of fact and he knows it and tries his best to keep in on when I am around. Hehehe, that naughty doctor.

If I went to a doctor and he brought out a sprague scope to listen to my heart and lungs one of a few things would happen. First of all I would probably laugh. Then when I was done laughing I would reach into my bag and let him borrow my real scope, a Littman. Then if he was offended or refused, I might ask him something along the lines of, "did you get your medical license out of a Cracker Jack box or something?" "We are not playing doctor out back in the tree house you know. We are adults and one of us has MD behind his name which means he should have big boy doctor toys that he can use for real to help make real diagnosis. So put the sprague back into the Fisher Price plastic doctor bag and try this again." Sounds a lot snooty, but really, not a quality piece of medical equipment. A quality scope is in the top three most important pieces of medical equipment and true medical professional has to own. You can't really hear worth a crap with them and because of this can lead you down a path of a misdiagnosis really quick, and dealing with the heart and lungs, the wrong path can and is deadly. Just my two cents.

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ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH YOU MASH.

I prefer black sprague for PLAY purposes, just seems more professional and looks less like a toy.

I quite like to examine with any steth I have two green ones. I would like a red steth but I also think black looks professional.

Lol... mine is red but i dont really care color, the better sound is always the best. And stething online, often i cant see it, but just listening to it hmmmmmm !

So put the sprague back into the Fisher Price plastic doctor bag and try this again." Sounds a lot snooty, but really, not a quality piece of medical equipment.

I have a 25 year old genuine Hewlett Packard Sprague-Rappaport which is an extremely high quality instrument. Compared to my Littman Classic II, I find it has a very solid feel and delivers much better acoustical performance. It has the weight of a real piece of hardware and good or bad, stays cold forever.

A stethoscope is very personal and one of a doctor's trademarks, how comfortably they wear it when they are not using it is equally as important in defining their bedside persona. It's not as much the quality of instrument as the quality of the user. A cheap S-R Nursescope with a trained ear is better than a Littman C3 in the hands of an inexperienced one.

So...call me a snob. I am.

Possibly, but that's not the word I would use.

You put in a great sales pitch for Littman at the very least. I wonder where all the S-Rs sold by Hewlett Packard for 50 years went, into Fisher Price plastic toy boxes along with the Harvey Tycos perhaps? Regardless of the negatives for use on a nursing floor, both the HP Sprague and the Harvey are exceptional instruments if you have a chance to try the real thing instead of a cheap knock-off. It's strictly a matter of personal preference so I suggest that whatever works for you is the best for you.

I'm enjoying this Littman versus Sprague high inteligent debate. Thank you both. Concerning me I have a littman classic II for years and I'm startint to play with my new one sprague.cheers

Hmm...it's like so good

Any colour.

Black solid. But royal solid is nice too.

Hey there! I was wondering if anyone has bought/used the new Littmann Cardiology IV stethoscope. Is it much better than the Cardiology III?