Esophageal Stethoscope Poll

[SCHMEGGA]

Just a quick poll as to how many of you actually use an esophageal sthethoscope for all/most of your cases. Afetr you vote then let me know why you do/don't. Thanks.

[smiling_ru]

I do not use it on all patients. I do use it on all pediatric patients, then pick and choose dependent on the situation with adults.

[SCHMEGGA]

Ok, for those of you who are answering the last one:

An esophageal stethoscope looks kinda like a more flexible NGT with stuff running through it. It is just a tube that is placed down behind the ETT into the esophagus and has a device for listening to breath and lung sounds among other sounds you might hear down there You get a mold made of either of your ear canals and then the earpiece (exactly the same as any earpiece made for a hearing aide, as a matter of fact it is done at any audiology place) attaches to the stethoscope via plastic tubing.

[nilepoc]

You forgot to add the option for

I use it for the temp probe aspect only. Or more appropriately, from what I have seen, mostly instead of only.

[SCHMEGGA]

Originally posted by nilepoc

You forgot to add the option for

I use it for the temp probe aspect only. Or more appropriately, from what I have seen, mostly instead of only.

True True

[rexhuber]

Absolutely. If I don't use an esophogeal, I use a precordial stethescope. I had a case of a asthmatic pt who was in the process of developing an upper airway obstruction about 30 min into LMA case being maintained on Sevo. I heard the obstruction with the precordial stethescope developing before any significant change in the ETCO2. After several interventions including positive pressure ventilation, repositioning of the LMA (ensuring the tip was not occluding the epiglottis into the trachea), and a beta 2 agonist inhaler tx, I ended up using Succ to paralyse the pt. I advocate using either the esophegeal or precordial stethescope on every pt.

[Qwiigley, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, CRNA]

I think it is prudent to use on all patients. You need to be able to hear the millwheel murmur during a beachchair shoulder case, you need to hear changes in heart rate, etc. It is uncomfortable and I've "hung" my self up on equipment in the beginning. It is also very hard to hear your preceptor while they are directing you. But it is important, the patient always comes first.