Best steth exam ever?

As I have Cystic Fibrosis I'm subject to many lengthy chest exams . I have memories of many lengthy ones. Some I'd rather forget as they were times when I was in the High Dependency Unit or last year in ICU ( Critical Care )

Due to the Community CF nurses visiting 3 x a day at the minute I'm auscultated at each visit . Chest percussion is then carried out and I am auscultated again , to check that the congested areas are now clear .

One lengthy one that stands out happened last year .

My old Respiratory Consultant retired . He had been my consultant from when I'd switched to adult care at 17. I had great respect for him . I'd got used to his exam style and he'd been there with me through a really tough pregnancy . So although I knew he must be getting near to retiring age ,it was a massive blow when he actually said he was leaving . I was introduced to the new one as he sat in on a clinic during one of my consultations . My next encounter with him was not him running the clinic alongside my old one as they'd hoped , but he visited my bedside when I was in HDU with pneumonia .

My initial impressions were not good of him . I'd had an ABG ( arterial blood gas) done that was concerning so they'd called him up . He came across as arrogant and uncaring . He demanded that for the next 4 nebulisers I had over the hour , he wanted an ABG taking before and after each one . I may of been pretty sick but I went ballistic. Those things hurt like hell.

For anyone wondering what they are an arterial blood gas is " A blood test that is performed using blood from an artery. It involves puncturing an artery with a thin needle and syringe and drawing a small volume of blood . "

My veins are absolutely rubbish . So they would puncture the artery , or where they thought was a good place and then wiggle that needle around hoping they would strike it lucky . Sometimes taking 3 or 4 attempts . I protested and complained and said they could do two and I wasn't allowing him to do no more . So that's what happened. But he wasn't happy.

Whilst he waited to take a second one he decided he would carry out the chest exam . As I had such a high fever I was naked under a sheet and every so often I was covered in a wet gown to keep the fever down . At this point I was naked under the sheet but I was sitting up as this was the most comfortable position to breath.

He drew the curtains round the bed , asked if he could take a listen, pulled the sheet down so it fell in my lap and placed his stethoscope on my chest . He listened all over the front and back of my chest for a long time . He asked me to take deep breaths in and out . This tired me out as I was already struggling . In the end he stopped asking me and he just listened. He then percussed various areas over the front and back .

He then lowered the back of the bed , so I was not lying completely flat but at an angle . I felt very exposed in this position . Maybe because he was standing directly over me . He pulled the sheet up so it came roughly to my belly button to protect my modesty . Then he placed his stethoscope on my chest again . He again auscultated all over . Including over my breasts and nipples . He also had a long listen to all four quadrants of the heart .

Not liking what he was hearing at this point he decided he wanted another X-ray . He also asked another Dr to come down and see me from ICU . This other Dr came down and carried out an identical exam to my Resp consultant apart from the ABG's as I'd refused to let them do anymore. Again I felt exposed , embarrassed and vulnerable.

The X-ray was done at my bed . It was decided that I needed a chest drain putting into the right side of the chest . But that's another story .

Nikki you have such travails. It's really heartbreaking. You are such an inspiration to all of us because you just persevere.

Nikki, I know the feeling, I have heart failure. In hospital, there are times when I have been struggling for breath and have been left lying down when I need to sit up. And I know the ABG thing, I, fainted during one botched attempt.

Steths to us are routine, but I still like them, and seeing my heart on an ECG or echo. is amazing.

I had a ten minute stething yesterday, but it was during an asthma emergency, and although I was on an ECG, the doctor wanted to listen. My doctor says that listening to the sounds the heart is actually making, particularly in an emergency, is far better than anything electronic or automated.

Hope you're doing OK...

Brooklyn, thanks for sharing. Not sure why your regular doctor doesn't listen good and long to your Heart....but the cardiologist???!!!! That's his/her job! That job is Hearts all day every day. It's great that your Heart is healthy but your cardiologist should spend some time making sure.....mostly with a Stethoscope!

Disappointing to hear a lot of doctors are not thorough. I understand the time constraints, but the best steth exam I ever gave I was mildly scolded for taking too long because I was too thorough haha.

I always listen enough to know what's going on and I'm thorough too. Often my exams are done with the history of symptoms in mind. To listen blindly for ever is pointless. I know how to listen to the heart and lungs well as I was taught by a master. As one gets more experienced the exam may be speeded up. It simply is not necessary to listen forever to get it right. But then I was trained in internal medicine. I also did ER because I wanted to do more procedures and I liked the life style better. Work weekends and nights and there are more opportunities to surf midweek.

The diaphragm had broken and fallen from the stethoscope.

The doctor was confused for what seemed an extraordinarily long time.

I was staying at a friends place. We were alone in the house and she was studying medicine. I am sure I was in the centre of the friendzone, cause we knew each other for years and for her it was nothing strage to have me lying next to her in her bed.

Her stethoscope layed next to her bed and then I finally dared to ask, wether I may try it. I tried to sound as normal as possible an to hide how crazy I was about that instrument. Of course I knew stethoscopes before, but playing simply interested as if I'd never used one before gave me the opportunty to have hers in my hand right at that moment. I listend to my heart a little and asked her some questions and then I finally took it and listened to hers :-) She looked quite confused but she didn't keep me from it and I had a good listen for about one minute. I just said "that's interesting" and then we never talked about it again.

For now my only experience when I could listen to a females heartbeat with a stethoscope.

I have enjoyed stethoscope exams ever since I was a young girl. I had a bit of an attraction to my doctor, but I can’t help it. He was a guy with a slight southern accent and the most soothing voice. It was actually stronger as a little kid even saying I would marry him lol. I think my parents knew I liked stething exams because I would look like a kid in a candy store and smile so big. I remember the first time a few years I go I got slightly wet because of it. Last time he told me to hold the stethoscope in place as he listened to my bowels. I almost died! And another time I vividly remember asking him to do it again because I think he had forgotten to do it but he may not have!