Stethoscope trouble

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I'm a nursing student, currently I use a littman lightweight 2 se that I had given to me. It's a bit beat up and I have trouble hearing apical pulses and breath sounds with it sometimes. I asked my clinical instructor if she had any suggestions and one of them was to get a cardiology stethoscope. I'm looking to buy a better one, but I was wondering if a cardiology IV would be worth the price or if I should go with a classic III, considering I'm having some issues hearing good with the lightweight.

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Since you said it is beat up check to make sure there are no cracks along the tubing. I had a Littman stethoscope for several years all of a sudden everyones breath sounds were diminished, well what do you know there was a big crack in the tubing. The tubing on old stethoscope can get stiff and crack.

Try a fellow nursing student's stethoscope and see if you can hear better with whatever type they have before you invest in a pricier one.

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The tubing seems fine. The rim of the bell side is the beat up part, part of it is chipped off so I won't use that side on patients

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

A cheap under 20$ sprague rapaport, stethoscope hears as well as my gold plated classic littman

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Women's Health, Education.

Maybe you need a hearing exam? I had trouble hearing apical pulses in nursing school as well. I almost failed a lab class because we had 3 chances to get checked off with an instructor listening using a double-stethoscope. When I failed time #2 out of 3 they mandated I go for a hearing test before I could try the 3rd time. Turned out I had hearing loss and I didn't realize it! So a doctor's note and a better stethoscope later I passed. MD suggested I use an amplified one but I didn't like the background noises it made.

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