Are all stethescopes the same?

hi, i've been hearing that littman cardiology iii are really nice, one of the best, so i got one. compared to the cheaper one i have, it is much better for clarity and sound.

and it was 30% off !

Definatly not. It's really hard to hear with some of the cheeper ones. I use a Cardiology II (had it for 10 years still works great). Light wieghts are pretty good too and a littel less expensive $40 - $60 I think

Nope, you usually get what you pay for. I would not use a cheepie in a place where you need to identify breath and cardiac sounds with any accuracy.

Oh gosh no .... just try using the disposable ones that they have for contact isolation patients!!! Couldn't hear a darn thing .... ummmm are we sure this patient has lungs and a heart? Cause with that thing I couldn't tell!! :chair:

I too have the Littman cardio III ... rather spend $$ on one than $ on one & $$ later on a 2nd one!

originally posted by student321

are some better than others in regards to sound and clarity. can you hear the beating of a heart louder in some stethescopes than others?

welcome to the board! they are not all the same when it comes to the sound and clarity.

I've got a Littman Master Classic II....it does me fine for what I need. That's what you need to ask yourself before you buy one....

I have a Littman Cardiology III stethoscope. It works great for assessments. However, if you are working on a unit in which your patients aren't as critical (postpartum, psych).. a cheaper one would work. The big thing to consider is....is there a chance you would lay your stethocope down and lose it? I started with a mid-range stethoscope and later graduated to the Cardiology stethoscope when I worked in step-down ICU.

lLithman is only way to go I have a cardiology III now really like it. i still have my old cardiology Ii that works great also. even the light weight one has good sound, i keep that one in my care for emergencies.

i have used several others and have found none equal to the littman.