How to Choose the Best Stethoscope for You?

As you know a stethoscope refers to the medical equipment that a doctor uses to listen to the internal sounds within a patient’s body. It is an acoustic device, typically comprising two tubes or one tube branched into two, attached to two separate earpieces. 

They also have a small disc or round-shaped resonator that gets placed against the bare or covered skin of the patient to take note of the various sounds. 

The sounds perceived using a stethoscope consist of those made by the lungs, heart, abdomen, intestines, bowel motion, and even due to the flow and movement of blood inside the veins and arteries. 

It amplifies them so that it becomes easier for the doctor to hear them. These intensified or augmented sounds travel up to the earpiece of the stethoscope via the tube. 

A stethoscope comes with two heads, namely: 

• Diaphragm 
• Bell 

The former helps to detect high-frequency sounds while the latter, low-frequency ones. 

We have compiled a list of the best stethoscope for various cases in this article. It also has pros and cons for each. 

These stethoscopes are the most suitable choices for the mentioned requirements and serve their features and abilities to an unsurpassed extent.  

What to Look for in a Stethoscope?

When looking for a stethoscope that an individual can use, all may seem like the best stethoscope. However, based on personal preferences, conveniences, and needs and requirements, the choice may differ based on several factors and parameters.

Any person who wishes to buy a stethoscope must consider them carefully to avoid making a meaningless purchase. Additionally, the correct choice helps in making the best of the individual’s skills with the instrument. 

A few of these parameters comprise of the following:

Thickness

The thickness of the tubing of a stethoscope is an exceedingly essential factor. It influences the noise cancellation ability and capacity of the instrument. Overall, thicker tubing is the better choice to block out to reduce the background noises when the doctor has to listen to the patient’s internal sounds. It also proffers the required and adequate weight to wear or hang the stethoscope around the neck. 

The thickness also adds to the sturdiness and durability of the stethoscope. It ensures that the instrument does not bend when subjected to impact and collisions. When the tubing is too thin, it cannot cancel out the frequency produced and received from the environment. 

Size

 The size of a stethoscope does not refer to solely the length of the entire instrument. The term considers several elements. The foremost is the size of the chest piece, whose parts are responsible for picking up and capturing the internal sounds of the patients. Depending on the person on whom the auscultation needs to get done, the dimensions may vary. For pediatric patients or children, a smaller chest piece suffices.

It is not the case for adults where a larger one is required. Some stethoscopes also come with bells on each edge of the chest piece that allows the doctors to cater to a broader age group and population of patients.

Another element is the size of the foam earpieces. They work to cancel out the surrounding noises to enable the doctors to listen to only the sounds from the patient’s body. Thus, they must fit steadily and accurately in the ears. As such, with varying ear sizes, earpieces of different dimensions are necessary. The best stethoscope is one that will have rubber tubing on these parts to allow them to mold themselves to the ear canal. 

Sound Quality

The primary purpose of a stethoscope is to capture the internal sound of a patient’s body. Hence, sound quality is a vital parameter to consider during the purchase of the equipment. 

The better the sound quality of a stethoscope, the more it can block out the background noise and shift the auditory focus toward the required sounds. For this reason, it is best to try out various products and check which one is the superior one when it comes to loudness amplification. 

Durability

Doctors and nurses have to wear a stethoscope around their necks for most of the day to enable easy access. During these times, the instrument gets subjected to impact, wear and tear, and other elements that lead to its damage.

On account of these reasons, the stethoscope must be durable enough to last for at least a few years. It ensures that the equipment does not need frequent replacing. 

The durability depends on the constituent materials, primarily rubber and aluminum. 

Fit for Profession

The requirements and specifications for any stethoscope will differ for pediatricians, cardiologists, ER nurses, and other specialized medical personnel. They will have different features and attributes for frequencies, sound quality, durability, and so on. Based on which line of the profession they work in, an individual must choose a suitable stethoscope. 

Final Verdict

A stethoscope is an essential instrument for the initial check-up of a patient. It helps the medical personnel get a fundamental understanding of which treatment plan and regime to follow without looking at the scans and reports. That is why one must select and use a stethoscope that can work appropriately in a particular field. It must deliver results to the best of its abilities. 

Cardiologists would work well with the ADC Adscope 600 Platinum Series Cardiology Stethoscope. The nursing students would find the 3M Littmann Lightweight II S.E. Stethoscope easier to use and more inclined towards their interests and needs. Similarly, the MDF Rose Gold MD One Stethoscope works best for a stylish and extravagant look.  

The 3M Littmann Classic III Stethoscope serves as the best stethoscope for cumulative performance. It can find application in multiple medical and nursing fields and has several features that cater to various requirements.