What is a stethoscope?
A stethoscope is used by doctors, for example to listen to the heart or lungs. This recognizes the heartbeats, asthma or water in the lungs to name just a few. The stethoscope usually consists of a disc -shaped resonator with a membrane that is placed on the patient's body. The resonator is connected by two tubes with the ears, the so -called earolives. In addition to the concrete medical benefit, a stethoscope according to oneresearch paper From 2012 p also a positive influence on the perceived trustworthiness of the doctor who bears it.
When is the stethoscope used?
Doctors use the stethoscope both
- To listen to lung and heart noises
- To listen to intestinal noises and to blood circulation in arteries and veins
- To measure blood pressure (in combination with aBlood pressure monitor)
It is used in
- Medical practices
- Care facilities
- Emergency medicine
- Hospital care
What types of stethoscopes are there?
Stethoscopes with dual frequency technology: With these devices you can adapt the contact pressure to the breast piece and thus listen to different types of noises. If you only put on the breast with slight pressure, you can hear noise with a low frequency. Increase the pressure, hear noise with a high frequency. With models without this technology, you have to unscrew and change the membrane and funnel to make these adjustments.
Electronic stethoscopes: These stethoscopes make a variety of functions possible, which are particularly helpful for young (less experienced) doctors. Noises can be increased, diagnoses are displayed on analysis programs and recordings are stored. TheLittmann Stethoscope Core For example, 40 times the reinforcement of body noise makes it possible. The results can be visualized, saved and commented on an app.
Stethoscopes for different patient groups:
Stethoscopes for infants and children: Stethoscopes for infants andStethoscopes for children Have smaller resonance bodies. So you can listen to the organs of your little patients in a targeted manner.
Stethoscope for adults: In contrast, stethoscopes for adults have a larger breast -piece adapted to the adult body.
What do you have to pay attention to when buying stethoscopes?
Take your practical experience into account: As a young doctor, it can be worth investing in an electronic device. This costs more, but the handling is easier. If you are already experienced in dealing with "classic" stethoscopes and would also like to stay with it, you can save here and choose a cheaper model.
The stethoscope must be tight: This avoids that the auscultation is made more difficult by noise.
Use the right stethoscope for your patients: You may have to have several stethoscopes in your practice. As a general practitioner, for example, you need one for children in addition to a stethoscope for adults. This ensures that you really hear everything.
Suitable accessories
Ohrolive spare parts set: The earolives are the earpieces of the stethoscope and can be replaced. They fit everyone Littmann Stethoscopes.
History of the stethoscope
The stethoscope, an essential diagnosis instrument in medicine, was invented in the early 19th century by René Laennec, a French doctor. Laennec developed the first stethoscope as a simple wooden tube in order to be able to better hear the heart and lung function of his patients. The stethoscope has developed since then and is now a symbol of the medical profession.
functionality
A stethoscope enables the doctor to hear the internal noises of a patient, such as heartbeats or flowing the blood in the arteries. It consists of a small resonance body that is placed on the patient's skin, and two hoses associated with ear pieces. When the resonance body captures sound waves, they are guided to the doctor's ears by the hoses.
Use in medicine
Stethoscopes are used in many areas of medicine, from general medicine to cardiology. They are indispensable for the assessment of the lung and heart function, for blood pressure measurement and can even help to identify certain disorders in the abdomen. Despite the technological advances in medical imaging, the stethoscope remains a fundamental and trustworthy tool for doctors worldwide.