I know that the "What type of stethoscope?" thread gets around quite a bit, but I was looking for information specifically on the Doctors Research Group Pure Tone stethoscopes. Has anyone had any experiences with these, especially the Cardiology and Ti-Lite Cardiology models. All of the nurses I work with say to buy a Littmann, and I probably will buy a Littmann Master Cardiology but also liked what I've seen of the DRG stethoscopes. I especially like that the acoustics are by Bose and that they have both a diaphragm and bell head, which the Master Cardiology doesn't. My school sent a letter saying to buy a stethoscope with both a bell and diaphragm, but I also see they sell a lot of Littmann Master Cardiology's in the bookstore. Of course they also said to wait until orientation to buy equipment. Any thoughts on the DRG's?
I have no experience with DRG stethoscopes. The Littman Master Cardiology does have a bell and a diaphragm, so no problem with your school requiring that. It has only one headpiece. If you press lightly on the skin, then it acts as a bell. If you press firmly, then it will act as a diaphragm. Despite what many say, expensive stethoscopes are usually of higher quality and allow you to hear better... especially when you are starting out. Those faint subtleties for murmurs might become more clear with a high dollar scope. Keep in mind that a high quality scope will last you for a while, so if you buy the Master Cardiology, then it's likely you'll be using it throughout your residency and possibly in your practice.
I just re-read what they sent about buying equipment and it said SEPERATE diaphragm and bell. I guess I could always get the Littmann Cardiology III. I also liked what I've read about the Tycos Harvey Elite. I guess I can probably try all of these out during orientation week and decide what I liked the best. I guess my cheap Prestige will do the job in ICM for a little while. I still welcome any comments about the DRG stethoscopes if anyone has had any experience with them.
If you decide to buy a Littmann, check out stethoscopes.net or stethoscopes.com (not sure which one it was, I think .net). I ordered my Master Cardiology from them at a great price. Plus it included free laser engraving of my name onto the headpiece.
I like my Tycos Harvey DLX. It's as good as the Littman Cardio III, and is cheaper. It also looks different, so you'll know which scope is yours when you lose it. Gets a lot of funny looks, too. People assume it's some fancy expensive scope because very few people use it.
