Cardiology III modifications

[J.Allen]

I have developed a special interest in auscultation of heart sounds and have done a lot of research as well as real world comparisons of various stethoscope models. I am especially interested in the Littmann Cardiology III. There have been some studies that have highlighted the remarkable performance of this scope, and it seems a lot of people swear by it. There are also some who claim it to be mediocre. I have yet to actually use this scope, but I have used a Classic II SE and have to say that I am not a fan of this tunable diaphragm. My question is will the Littmann floating diaphragm fit on this stethoscope? Also, for those that are against these tunable diaphragms, will this modification improve the potential limitations of this stethoscope? I want to own the best equipment possible for say, less than $200 dollars. I have also looked at some Littmann alternatives such as MDF and Prestige, but there are just not a whole lot of reviews or feedback out there. I own a Kila cardio scope and I am impressed! I am only a student nurse now but I think I want to work in cardiology :)

[ldyjstce]

not sure as to the answer for your question, but i own a card iii steth. i received it my last year in nursing school as a birthday present. suffice it to say that i love :heartbeat:heartbeat it. my thought was that i was going to go into cardio -- needless to say, i didn't. lol

i work in dialysis where it is imperative that we auscultate lung and heart sounds and i find that i pick up much more on my assessments with my stethoscope! in fact, other nurses come and borrow mine (or borrow me) to listen to questionable sounds.

love the card iii! only thing i would change would be to give it another inch or two on the length.

good luck!

[Music in My Heart]

I'm also a fan of the Cardio III but have found it interesting that it's a better 'scope than most of the docs use, including my kid's cardiologist (meaning, it's still more about the skill than the tool).

I've got significant hearing loss and may move to an amplified 'scope though now that I'm in the ED it seems less important since our docs see our patients within just a few minutes of their arrival.