How to choose the right stethoscope ?

In the collective subcontinent, a health professional is automatically associated with a number of medical instruments such as: a white coat, a notepad in his hand and a stethoscope around his neck. The stethoscope is one of the most important and most widely used medical devices by health professionals, especially in general medicine. It is very difficult to imagine a doctor without this little medical device on his neck. It is one of the most demanded diagnostic instruments in the medical device market. To meet this demand, manufacturers keep innovating and releasing new models. Today there is a wide choice of stethoscopes, the acoustic quality and functionality of which differ from model to model. So we have to know how to choose the right stethoscope.

How to choose the right stethoscope ?
How to choose the right stethoscope ?

What is a medical stethoscope?

A medical stethoscope is a device used in medicine to listen to internal sounds emanating from the body of patients. It is useful for different parts of the body, ranging from the heart to the intestines. Listening with a stethoscope is often the first step in diagnosing many internal disorders. Most healthcare professionals are rarely found without a stethoscope, and many patients find the stethoscope to be essential in medical diagnosis.

What is the history of the medical stethoscope?

The first stethoscope was created in France in 1816. Initially, it was a simple hollow wooden tube that did not offer much flexibility to the medical community at the time. It was in the mid-1800s that the stethoscope underwent its first developments. He mostly went from a monaural model to a binaural model. Since then its structure has continued to undergo major changes until a professor from Harvard Medical School, in this case David Littman, completely revolutionized it in the early 1960s, to give it the shape that knows him today.

How to choose a stethoscope?

Almost all professional in the medical field needs a high quality stethoscope, and there are usually many models with varying options available at websites specialized in the sale of medical devices. Choosing a good stethoscope depends on your specialty and your individual needs. In this section, we'll go over the different components and features of a stethoscope while trying to give some tips that might help you choose your medical stethoscope.
While there are many brands and models of stethoscopes, they all share basic functionality and common components such as the headset, tubing, and chestpiece. Inexpensive models may be ideal for healthcare professionals who do not need advanced features. Acoustic and electronic stethoscopes generally cost significantly more dear, but they also offer a greater choice of options.

Choice of headset

The headset consists of two eartips, an ear tube with a spring. The ear tips can be soft or hard and are available in different sizes. If possible, choose a stethoscope with interchangeable eartips. This is particularly useful in applications where the stethoscope is used frequently, such as internal medicine departments, cardiac surgeries, emergency departments and intensive care units. Ideally, the ear tube should be adjustable. This allows each user to customize the headset to fit their own ears for maximum comfort. Some stethoscopes have external noise reduction functions. This is especially appreciated by practitioners practicing in noisy environments, such as paramedics anesthetists.

Choice of chestpiece

Some chestpieces have a single-sided diaphragm and others have a double-sided diaphragm. The diaphragms with double-sided technology allow listening to high frequency sounds on one side and low frequency sounds on the other side. Furthermore, the pavilions can have different diameters. The choice of diameter depends essentially on the average size of the patient. The 35 mm diameter pavilions are generally suitable for most adult patients. The 25 mm diameter is very popular in pediatrics while in cardiology it is rather the 45 mm diameter that is used the most because it allows to better hear certain subtle heart sounds.

Choice of tubuling

Tubing are generally between 65 and 70 cm long. They are available in a wide variety of colors, although black remains the most common color. A good tubular should be long enough and made of a flexible material. However, latex tubing should be avoided as some patients may be allergic to this material.


About the author
My name is Natalia. After a long experience in import-export of baby items in a large international brand, I became interested in the Medical Device sector. I am currently an expert in purchasing procedures for medical equipment in hospitals, geriatrics and pharmaceuticals. In this Placemed blog, I decided to write about medical news that might interest you.

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