stethoscope queries

LilRedRN1973 · Oct 30, 2003

Two places to check: I have seen Littmann Classic SE II on Ebay for around $50-60 and at http://www.allheart.com for about $60. This seems to be a pretty good steth for the money. I will be getting one myself for Christmas after using one of my classmates Littmann over my Sprague.

BarbPick · Oct 30, 2003

The best to hear with is called a sprague rappaport style. The original one was made by hewlet Packard, like the printers and cardiac monitors. Many people have copied the style and they are sold in uniform stores for about $25.00. It is the kind that has 2 separate tubes that lead from the diaphram bell gizmo, and go into their own ear pieces. Here is a link for allheart.com showing the scope. Allheart will not allow any cut and pasting from their site, so if this doesn't show on the link I put here, go through the site and see the sprague rappaport model yourself.

http://store.yahoo.com/allheart/ah414010.html

road runner2003 · Oct 31, 2003

Thank you both for your suggestions. Very reasonable prices :). I am a tad hesitant to jump right in and buy an expensive stethoscope as a student - although , I don't want another stethoscope in which I cannot hear any respiratory sounds!

BarbPick · Oct 31, 2003

Let me be more specific. I am slightly hearing impaired. I have nerve deafness that I have inherited from my Grandfather, the first residency certified surgeon in the united states.

You are reluctant to spend an additional cent, when I gave you the generic knock off of my $200.00 Hewlett Packard scope that works almost as well. I provided a picture so you can find one in a uniform shop where you live and not have to pay postage.

I had to go through hearing testings and a augmented scope was recomended for the cost of one thousand dollars. Then the hearing professional told me never to buy any scope made by Littman as they are fused into one piece, and provide just adequate hearing. Do yourself a favor, make sure you do not read any of my posts, because I tutor nursing students on writing papers, care plans and at the moment, am helping 20 students pass their boards , which they failed the first time.

Go to EBAY and buy someone's used junk. Why listen to a Clinical Nurse Specialist of 28 years when a nursing student was able to save a few bucks. Listen to the student, you do not want to get stuck paying a few dollars and actually hear respiratory sounds.

LilRedRN1973 · Oct 31, 2003

Um, Barb...are you having a bad day? I think your response to the original poster was a bit rude. They said thank you for your suggestions and never mentioned that they would be taking my advice over yours. As far as "used junk off Ebay" goes, everything I have purchased from there has been brand new and that includes the stethoscopes I have seen. There is a student in our group who has the steth you recommended and she personally hates it. She can't hear as well with that as she can with the Littman. This is a personal preference and everyone probably hears a bit differently with each stethoscope. I'm sure that the one you recommended is a great stethoscope and the poster may end up purchasing one of these. Please don't talk down about me just because I'm a "student". I'm sure you were a student at one time yourself. I was only trying to give the poster a suggestion based on what I have seen in my class.

CarVsTree · Oct 31, 2003

You are reluctant to spend an additional cent, when I gave you the generic knock off of my $200.00 Hewlett Packard scope that works almost as well. I provided a picture so you can find one in a uniform shop where you live and not have to pay postage.

What are you talking about???

She said,

Thank you both for your suggestions. Very reasonable prices.

From what I see, she was thanking you both for your suggestions of inexpensive scopes. Your recommendation was actually the cheaper of the two. So why are you attacking OP.

Re-read her answer and then you perhaps should think about apologizing. I think you must have mis-read it. We all make mistakes.

Also, I think she meant as a student she didn't want to spend a lot because she might be worried about losing it. And please don't slam us students for our inexperience. We know we are inexperienced.

Vsummer1 · Oct 31, 2003

Originally posted by BarbPick
Do yourself a favor, make sure you do not read any of my posts.

Great Idea. That is why they made that nice little ignore feature. Thank you for reminding me.

Rustyhammer · Oct 31, 2003

Just a reminder here to be nice. Lets not let this thread get out of control here.

Post politely please.

-R

Jay-Jay, RN · Nov 1, 2003

I have a major hearing impairment, 70 to 80 percent loss in the midrange frequencies, and when I was in nursing school, I bought a Littman stethescope which was recommended by the Canadian Hearing Society. It has an amplifier inserted in the tubing up near where it branches off to the earpieces. It's about the size of a dollar coin, and runs off a single hearing aid battery. There is a volume control and a control for air/ stethescope and high/low pitched sounds. I've had it for 12 years now, and it provides excellent amplification for both breath and heart sounds, and so far it has not once needed any repairs or maintenance! When I was working in the hospital, I frequently had other nurses begging to borrow it when they had a patient with a very low blood pressure. It cost about $300.

It has two disadvantages, one, if you wear behind the ear hearing aids, as I do, you have to remove them in order to use the stethescope, and two, if the battery bombs out on you, you can't hear ANYTHING with it!

BarbPick, I hope you are politer to those students you're teaching than you were to Roadrunner. This is a professional board, and we treat each other with professional courtesy. Student nurses are the future of our profession, and deserve the same respect.

road runner2003 · Nov 1, 2003

Very appreciative of all suggestions given. I have been looking around the allheart web site, considering each suggestion and will let you know what I decide on.

I do have 1 more query which may seem silly. Is there much of a difference when it comes to using dual and single head stethoscopes. Or are both just as easy for a student to use? Thank you.

LilRedRN1973 · Nov 1, 2003

I was told that a dual head is best to allow the different frequencies to be heard. The diaphragm is better for lower frequency sounds and the bell is better for higher frequencies. There are some steths that only have one head and you press harder or lighter depending on the frequency you wish to hear. I have not tried any of these and use a dual head.