stethoscope care?

[LanaBanana]

I was wondering how you all transport your stethoscopes back and forth to school? That sounds silly, but I got a nice Littmann and don't want to ruin the diaphragm. The case that came with my bp cuff isn't big enough to put it in. I do have an outside pocket on my rolling backpack, but shouldn't it be put "in" something? Just curious if I needed to find a case of some kind. I'm 11 days away from starting!!!!!

((((This is way off topic, but I just noticed a new sign in teh smilies box that says "wake up neo". What the heck does that mean????)))))

[CuriousMe]

Honestly, I was real freaked out for the first month or so and only carried it in it's box, but that got really old.....after that, I just put it in the front pocket of my backpack.

So far, so good (about 9 months). I figure, worst case scenario is that something happens to the diaphragm....so I have a couple extra diaphragms (it was under $10 for 2) in a small ziplock bag in a small zippered part of my backpack. If the worst happens, I'll just put on a new diaphragm.

[chelynn]

The more the steth rests on your neck, the oils from the skin can damage the tubing. Keeping it in a pocket like Roy does or getting something to cover the tubing are both good ideas.

(The Wake Up Neo thing is from 'The Matrix' - see the beginning of this link for some explanation: http://www.martine.org/matrix_self_esteem.htm )

The stethascope "socks" or whatever you call the cutsie things some people have around the tubing are a huge problem with infection control. They collect everything and then pass it around to everyone else.