Hearing impairment and auscultations

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Paladin78

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Hi everyone! The end of my EMT-B course is drawing near and I must find a solution to my problem before I go out and start apping for jobs. I am hearing impaired though I can hear fine with my cochlear implant. However, one problem has came up and I am desperately seeking a solution for. I am unable to use a standard steth. There are electronic steths on the market but unfortunately they cost too much for me to afford. We're talking 600-800 dollar range here. Once I do acquire one I know that I will have no problems hearing heart, lung and digestive sounds, thanks to the telecoil on my sound processor. Basically I can completely eliminate any ambient sounds and hear only what is coming through the telecoil. Some electronic steths are t-coil compatible and I find that this will be an excellent tool for me.
Now comes the real problem...acquiring one. I have sought the aid of vocation rehabilitation and they refuse to purchase one for me due to my being able to hear so well with my implant. Does anyone else have any suggestions for me?
 
How about good old Ebay?
 
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thanks, but that is actually designed to find squeak and rattles in car chassis. :D
 
oops, yeah, my bad...just got up and not got caffeine in system yet!!!
Took link out
 
Too bad they couldn't just have a jack to plug in a microphone.

I can think of a bunch of improvs involving OTC hearing aids, but an employer is going to shy off of your using it.

SOUnds like maybe am American with Disabilities deal. Ask EMSLAW about it, he's our fellow legal eagle. Just do not under any circumstance conceal it; in fact, have a copy of a letter frm your audiologist autlining your capabilites and drawbackcs.

CAN you take VS in a moving noisy ambulance as well as a hyporthetical "average" EMT?
 
mycrofft said:
I can think of a bunch of improvs involving OTC hearing aids, but an employer is going to shy off of your using it.
Click to expand...


such as?


CAN you take VS in a moving noisy ambulance as well as a hyporthetical "average" EMT?
Click to expand...

As is, no. I am completely unable to use a standard steth. Now, if I had an electronic steth, I could take vitals probably better than the 'average' EMT as I have the ability completely 'shutoff' any outside noise with my t-coil.
 
Research different grants and organizations. There may be someone out there that will help with the costs.
 
Have you tried contacting a stethoscope manufactuer and seeing if you could set up some sort of payment plan to purchase one? Spending X dollars a month for Y months would generally be easier than paying one lump sum.
 
I would buy one of those Radio Shack units, looks like an old pocket radio.

Buy a cheap Littman style scope, take the windscreen off the aid, the large diaphragm off the littman, and mate them up, then try it out.
 
Was cut off. Rest of reply

Buy a cheap Littman style scope, take the windscreen off the aid, the large diaphragm off the littman, and mate them up, then try it out.


Try this website, I have not surveyed it:

http://www.amphl.org/stethoscopes.php

 
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