Stethoscope - The Mega Thread

I was thinking earlier today that there is probably a "Stethoscopes" thread in every category on this forum. It sure looks like it.
 
AJ Hidell said:
I was thinking earlier today that there is probably a "Stethoscopes" thread in every category on this forum. It sure looks like it.
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There are three things I can count on. Death, taxes, and getting an email notification of a reply in the thread "Stethoscope" atleast once a week ;)

BUT this thread will be the most dug up thread ever :P
 
AJ Hidell said:
I was thinking earlier today that there is probably a "Stethoscopes" thread in every category on this forum. It sure looks like it.
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Yup makes me think search doesn't work for new people. Perhaps the mods could check into making search available as soon as you join to stop all these duplicate topics so close together.:rolleyes:
 
exodus said:
You shoulds got the Littmann MASTERS Classic II SE.. That's the one I got, i love the single diaphragm :)
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This one has a single diaphram, but you can put one on it if you please. I had spent an afternoon trying out a couple of my doctors steths, classic and cardiology. The cardiology is great, but a little too heavy for me. The classic had just as good as the cardiologies acoustics to me. Plus half the price. Win win if you ask me.
 
medic417 said:
Yup makes me think search doesn't work for new people. Perhaps the mods could check into making search available as soon as you join to stop all these duplicate topics so close together.:rolleyes:
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Actually, search is how I found this thread and alot of the others I read. More specific that way.
 
EDAC said:
I just got mine for labs last week, the Littmann Classic II S.E. I told the gentleman at the shop I was a student and he gave me $10.00 off, so it cost me $61.00 + tax. We were in lab and many of the other students had the Walmart or local Pharmacy brands, we switched around and tried each others out. Everyone who used my Littmann who did not have one, said they could tell the difference right away. The sounds were clearer, and more definitive than the bargain brand. I got the Littmann because the instructor recommended it and I am glad I did.
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I got my off the internet, free engraving, $63.99 color of my choice and cheap shipping! Yours is a great find too. I like being able to get it engraved.
 
WannaBeFlight said:
This one has a single diaphram, but you can put one on it if you please.
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Huh?

I had spent an afternoon trying out a couple of my doctors steths, classic and cardiology. The cardiology is great, but a little too heavy for me. The classic had just as good as the cardiologies acoustics to me.
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Did you try them out in the back of a moving ambulance? Did you try them out in the middle of the street with a diesel ambulance and two diesel fire trucks idling nearby? If you had, you would have quickly seen the difference. There is a reason the cardiology is so heavy.
 
AJ Hidell said:
Huh?

The select gives you the option to put a diaphram on the smaller "pediatric side" if you want too.


Did you try them out in the back of a moving ambulance? Did you try them out in the middle of the street with a diesel ambulance and two diesel fire trucks idling nearby? If you had, you would have quickly seen the difference. There is a reason the cardiology is so heavy.
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Never used it around or in an ambulance, but used it plenty with little kids fighting you just to get their vitals and thats more than enough background noise for me to see how good it is. Screaming at the top of their lungs, crying, rapid and heavy breathing. Normal day for me. :P haha!
 
WannaBeFlight said:
The select gives you the option to put a diaphram on the smaller "pediatric side" if you want too.
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Ah, okay. Regardless of how many diaphragms it has, it still suffers the problems inherent to all dual head stethoscopes, which is that it is noisier than a single head of similar quality. It's just like your ears: If you plug one ear with your finger, you can still hear somewhat through it. And that's the problem with a dual-head. The unused head still lets in noise.

Never used it around or in an ambulance, but used it plenty with little kids fighting you just to get their vitals and thats more than enough background noise for me to see how good it is. Screaming at the top of their lungs, crying, rapid and heavy breathing. Normal day for me. :P haha!
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LOL! I feel your pain! Peds is my specialty. But seriously, a single head stethoscope -- especially one with the thick, dual lumen, Cardiology type tubing -- is noticeably better at cancelling ambient noise than a single head with normal tubing. And low frequencies (road noise and adults talking) is where that noise cancelling is most noticeable. There really isn't much you can do about high frequency noise like kids screaming. That's why pedi scopes aren't made in a cardiology style design.
 
welch allyn

I am partial to welch allyn stethoscopes. That doesn't mean that is what you need. I would start out with a cheap stethoscope for class especially. You don't need someone walking off with yours.
 
cprguys said:
I am partial to welch allyn stethoscopes. That doesn't mean that is what you need. I would start out with a cheap stethoscope for class especially. You don't need someone walking off with yours.
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I am seriously having a hard time believing that someone would actually steal someone elses stethoscope, ecspecially someone in your class. I have seen many statements about it just couldn't fathom a grown adult doing that. If people like that can't be trusted in class, what are they going to take from a rig? Unreal... I ordered mine last week and had my name engraved on it, plus its raspberry pink, a little more noticable than the normla black ones people get. :unsure:
 
WannaBeFlight said:
I am seriously having a hard time believing that someone would actually steal someone elses stethoscope, ecspecially someone in your class. I have seen many statements about it just couldn't fathom a grown adult doing that. If people like that can't be trusted in class, what are they going to take from a rig? Unreal... I ordered mine last week and had my name engraved on it, plus its raspberry pink, a little more noticable than the normla black ones people get. :unsure:
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I've had a few partners have their stethoscopes stolen by other coworkers, usually due to some feud or conflict.
 
WannaBeFlight said:
If people like that can't be trusted in class, what are they going to take from a rig?
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How about credit cards, money, SSN's, drugs, feet (yes, a foot)...etc. With the prerequisite requirements for being an EMT/paramedic being so low, you will inevitably have some scumbags fall through the cracks....so yes, I would be a little worried about an above-average stethoscope being yoinked...

Here's some links to stories where medics/EMT's got some sticky fingers:

http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/stories/wcnc-081808-krg-lincoln.e357608.html

http://consumerist.com/5020803/para...from-patient-goes-on-shopping-spree-at-target

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/specials/weirdflorida/blog/2008/11/paramedic_accused_of_stealing_3.html

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/oct/06/paramedic-supervisor-suspected-stealing-drugs/

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/campbell-firefighter-ambulance-2011877-scenes-angeles

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/article883259.ece

This one was stealing Etomidate out of her own rig: http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-ems/articles/288908-Wash-fire-department-paramedic-allegedly-stole-drugs/

Here's the foot stealer: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1821205/firefighter_steals_severed_foot_from_crash_scene_sept_2008/

It's not just in America, either http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/6705261.stm
 
Unreal, those are some crazy stories. That just goes further into people not being able to trust the ones who have vowed to help them...Not good! I will make sure to keep a close eye on my belongings. Thanks.
 
keep your eyes peeled

wow, this is my first post and I start here. I will be going to government ran organization soon , but past 4 mths been doing private ambulance and I was starting to form opinions about how generally people are in this business, knowing that in a professional atmosphere, you get better results.

I work in a environment that's cutthroat attitude and I can't wait for the real EMS crowd , I'm sure there will be lots less people to worry about taking your gear.

Anyhow since this post started with stethascopes, I will say my little sis just handed me a master cardiology, littmann, and I only hope to hang on to it as long as possible in this crazy world.

Thanks for having this wonderful site folks.
 
Treeemt said:
.

I work in a environment that's cutthroat attitude and I can't wait for the real EMS crowd , I'm sure there will be lots less people to worry about taking your gear.

.
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Ever notice that even Cops have locks on their lockers?

R/r 911
 
I have first hand experience with this, I had a scope that I would put into my bag when I was done with it. that's what I always do, unless I am going to be doing a double it stays in my bag. We had a student onboard who had watched me remove and replace me scope from that bag all day long, and he kept complaining about having to use the service provided scopes (you know the ones, they're like 3$ for a bag of 50). I have a thing about letting people I don't know REALLY well use my scope (I let my wife, my partner, and a couple friends use it, that's about it).

We were packing up leaving and the last thing I do every night is check my bag for all my stuff. I usually bring my books, laptop or my PSP, scope, etc. Low and behold my scope is missing, so I search around the truck and think the only logical conclusion is that I left it at a hospital. Crap, so I go and clock out, while I'm clocking out I see the student we had talking to some other students waiting to go back out on a truck and I see the bell of my scope sticking out from his pants pocket. I retrieve my scope and off to the supervisors I go. He was fired that night.

He claimed that he thought it was the trucks scope, which wasn't the right thing to say either because either way htye were going to fire him for stealing my scope or stealing a company scope :P

I talked to some of his other classmates and they told me that he somehow would end up with things on him that belonged to other people but seemed to always have a story, they never wanted to rat on him because of some class bonding thing and that they were afraid of getting labeled as a snitch by the people already working on the streets.

There was also a big deal about a guy stealing SSN's and credit cards about 8 months ago, he supposedly was writing them down in his calss notebook, and lent it to another medic student to study a chapter. That other student was flipping through looking for it and found this section of hundreds of SSN's and credit card numbers.
 
AJ Hidell said:
Fired from what?

Your agency pays students? :unsure:
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Actually, that is the "norm" in many places of having indentured students, so that they are in debt to their employeer.

R/r 911
 
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