Stethoscope Question

LauraLou · Mar 20, 2004

I have a Welch Allyn Elite Stethoscope. I got it new on Ebay for $50. It sells on allheart.com for $129. It is a great stethoscope. I can hear everything very clearly. I borrowed a classmate's Sprague and it was so bad I couldn't hear the brachial pulse to do blood pressure.

Be sure to check out Ebay when you decide what you want. You can get brand new stethoscope for a lot less.

LauraLou · Mar 20, 2004

I have a Welch Allyn Elite Stethoscope. I got it new on Ebay for $50. It sells on allheart.com for $129. It is a great stethoscope. I can hear everything very clearly. I borrowed a classmate's Sprague and it was so bad I couldn't hear the brachial pulse to do blood pressure.

Be sure to check out Ebay when you decide what you want. You can get brand new stethoscope for a lot less.

suzanne4, RN · Mar 20, 2004

I much prefer the cheaper ones. I have never had any problem with the sound, even used the same style in an ambulance and on a plane. The more expensive ones have a tendency to grow legs and walk away. Also, go for a color that the docs nor anyone else would want, the ugly gold yellow or even pink. If you do happen to misplace it, you won't be so furious with yourself and you can easily replace it.

:balloons:

suzanne4, RN · Mar 20, 2004

I much prefer the cheaper ones. I have never had any problem with the sound, even used the same style in an ambulance and on a plane. The more expensive ones have a tendency to grow legs and walk away. Also, go for a color that the docs nor anyone else would want, the ugly gold yellow or even pink. If you do happen to misplace it, you won't be so furious with yourself and you can easily replace it.

:balloons:

tiredfeetED · Mar 20, 2004

Yes littmans have legs..My Master Cardiology walked off yesterday! only 4 wks old...had to pull out my other cheaper littman...(which i hear better with and cost less money)! Im convinced it was one of the surgeons.

tiredfeetED · Mar 20, 2004

Yes littmans have legs..My Master Cardiology walked off yesterday! only 4 wks old...had to pull out my other cheaper littman...(which i hear better with and cost less money)! Im convinced it was one of the surgeons.

oldiebutgoodie, RN · Mar 20, 2004

Well, I just bought the Littman Master cardiology for $130 at our bookstore. (I think it retails for $200). I can hear like crazy with this thing! I got the 22 inch length, so it won't be too long.

I started nursing school with the Littman Classic II (I think--it was about $40.) At first, I could not hear jack out of it! It turned out that I had the earpieces turned the wrong way! (Make sure with Littmans that the earpieces are pointed TOWARD your patient. Duh.)

Once I figured that out, I had more adventures. On one of my first patients, I could not find a heart beat at all, but she was obviously alive! I did not have the valve turned so that the diaphragm was "on". (More duh.)

I got the Master cardiology, because I am not sure I am hearing the top soundon blood pressures. When I compare my blood pressures to what the PCTs do, their pressures are higher. But I wonder if they are choosing the top value where they see the mercury bouncing on the gauge, as opposed to the sound. Anyway, I guess I'll find out. I'm on quarter break right now, and school starts up again in 10 days.

Good luck!

Oldiebutgoodie

oldiebutgoodie, RN · Mar 20, 2004

Well, I just bought the Littman Master cardiology for $130 at our bookstore. (I think it retails for $200). I can hear like crazy with this thing! I got the 22 inch length, so it won't be too long.

I started nursing school with the Littman Classic II (I think--it was about $40.) At first, I could not hear jack out of it! It turned out that I had the earpieces turned the wrong way! (Make sure with Littmans that the earpieces are pointed TOWARD your patient. Duh.)

Once I figured that out, I had more adventures. On one of my first patients, I could not find a heart beat at all, but she was obviously alive! I did not have the valve turned so that the diaphragm was "on". (More duh.)

I got the Master cardiology, because I am not sure I am hearing the top soundon blood pressures. When I compare my blood pressures to what the PCTs do, their pressures are higher. But I wonder if they are choosing the top value where they see the mercury bouncing on the gauge, as opposed to the sound. Anyway, I guess I'll find out. I'm on quarter break right now, and school starts up again in 10 days.

Good luck!

Oldiebutgoodie

newgrad2004 · Mar 20, 2004

THank you all. I think instead of jumping the gun, I am writing down all your recommendations and then going to go to orientation and find out what they suggest. Or, I may even call my advisor if I find a good sale before then.

Its really best if you try as many as you can, so if you want settle for a cheap one then first day of clinical try everyone you can find who has a different one. Or borrow some ones old/second scope until you find the right scope for you.

But always personalize your expensive scopes.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Mar 20, 2004

I use a Littman Classic II Pediatric which is quite good for what I do with it. Our unit has stethoscopes at each bedside, which is a standard of practice for PICUs in Canada, but the ones the hospital provides are little better than Fisher Price ones. When I was in nursing school I had a Sprague-Rappaport cheapy, the one with the double tubes and replaceable clear plastic diaphragms. One of my home care kiddies bit a hole through the plastic, rendering it useless, and guess what... no one in the city stocked the replacement parts. Good stethoscopes do grow legs, so make sure you have a sturdy, not-easily-removed identification tag on yours. Mine has my name in letter beads on plastic coated wire, wrapped tightly around the tube just above the head. (Gives my soon-to-be-transferred toddler patients something to play with!) I have also labelled my line level the same way, since I manage to lose those on a regular basis too.