Stethoscope question

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in L&D, Ambulatory Care.

Hello all.

I am a senior nursing student.

I've had an "ok" regular stethoscope so far in nursing school.

My boyfriend decided as one of my graudation presents he wants to get me a really nice stethoscope.

Any ideas?

I've seen many people with Littmann, but I guess there are other brands out there that are supposedly good such as DRG, Omron, Tycos, etc.

Thanks in advance!

Melissa

Specializes in LTC, MDS/careplans, Unit Manager.

Melissa,

I have posted on this topic before...Here is the info on the steth I have had for several years. It is from Dixie EMS. I have had great success with this steth and really like to use it!

the following is copied from the Dixie EMS website:

Lighter! So much easier to wear! Better sound quality! No extra parts to lose! Fits infants, too!

The Dixigear high-density Pot Belly head requires no metal bell to act as a sounding board, because it filters out external noise while it amplifies heart/lung sounds. This custom scope can be used on bare skin, or can be clearly heard through up to eight layers of fabric! Two types of eartips come standard assuring custom ear fit comfort. Your choice of designer colors to coordinate with your professional wardrobe. Full three-year warranty.

Here is the link to their site:

http://dixieems.com/home.asp

Click on "diagnostics" and you will be taken to their selection of stethoscopes. They are a great company to order from. I received my order very quickly!

Good luck to you as you begin your career!!

Shari

I love my Littman Master Cardio. Got it new off the internet for around $125- which is a lot cheaper than it is usually advertised. It has an acoustic rating of 10 out of 10 which is nice for me because I couldn't seem to hear well with my cheaper model. It is a little heavy around my neck so I wear it on my waistband with a plastic stethoscope clip. Some of my collegues prefer the dual headed one because it works with peds. Still, I wouldn't trade mine. Hope you find one that works for you...and congratulations on your graduation!

I've had a Littman Classic II for several years. It's seems to fit my needs. I received my first one from a physician that I worked for at the time. I like the sound quality and comfort. Not quite as pricey as other stethescopes. Hope this helps.

I used to use a Litman Cardiology II, but now I use an electronic stethoscope -- the "Stethos", by Agilent.

I work in a CVICU and have found that even with the best non-electronic scopes, post-operative heart tones were always too distant to evaluate effectively. Now, with the electronic scope, I simply turn up the amplification.

Granted, they tend to go for anywhere between $250 and $400, but a good investment in my mind. It might be a bit much to spend for a first scope, though.

I WOULDN'T TRADE MY LITTMANN MASTER CARDIOLOGY, I HAD TO REPLACE MY TUBES ONCE, BUT YOU CAN'T BEAT IT FOR HEART SOUNDS. I TRIED THOSE ELECTRONIC ONES-WASN'T IMPRESSED.

I love my Littmann Classic II SE stethoscope, has good sound quality.............but if you're going to do cardiology, definitely the Littmann Cardiology scope.........

Specializes in L&D, Ambulatory Care.

Thank You everyone for the info!

Have you ever tried an Ultrascope? I am hard of hearing and found the amplification of heart and lung sounds to be greater than my Littmann Cardiology III. The ultrascopes cost about $99.00 and come in neonatal, pediatric, and adult size heads. They also sell designer heads for the scopes which are cool and you can choose single or double tubing. You can order ultrascopes at uniform stores or online. The ultrascope has a head similar to the Potbelly scopes, so maybe the potbellies would be a cheaper alternative (I haven't tried potbelly...so I don't know if they work as well).

If you do go with the littmann, don't get anything of less quality than the Master Classic II stethoscope...the cheaper ones aren't any better than sprague or prestige.

Remember to keep your stethoscope on you at all times. The residents at my hospital are notorious for walking off with any stethoscope they see laying around. I set my Cardiology III down for 15 minutes....and poof...gone! Luckily my name was on it and it came back to me. The resident picked it up and thought it was hers. This can also be avoided by getting some abnoxious looking color scope that nobody would want.

Try this link:

http://www.ultrascopes.com

Specializes in L&D, Ambulatory Care.

Since that stethoscope is one sided, is it like the Littmann one sided versions that utilize light pressure and firm pressure to hear different frequencies?

Specializes in L&D, Ambulatory Care.

Sorry!

Are the eartips as soft as the Littmann?

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