Need opinions on two stethoscopes

[Breadsmel]

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I don't know if this is the right place to post this, but I have two stethoscopes that I am looking at and one has plenty of favourable reviews (http://www.allheart.com/littmann-27quot-master-cardiology-stethoscope/p/2163-65/) - while the other (http://www.allheart.com/jabes-electronic-stethoscope/p/jsjabes3/) - has not enough and I can't find anything on other sites.

I'd like to own the one with the better sound quality and durability, however I'm also wondering if the software for Jabes is nice to use because I really like the idea of it.

Anyone have experience with these two? If so, post your comparisons and opinions on each.

Or is there an even better one around this price range you can suggest?

I don't want to exceed $224.97

 

[JJMrK]

You don't need either of those. Spend 50 bucks and save your money. Also, assuming you are a med student, if you get the second one you will be 'that' guy.

 

[Breadsmel]

I'm going for clarity, durability, and cost effectiveness, not just cost effectiveness.

 

[zeppelinpage4]

I'm going for clarity, durability, and cost effectiveness, not just cost effectiveness.

I've only owned one steth so far, but I posted a thread asking about stethoscopes a year ago. From the posts I read, it seems you can get clarity, and durability....but at a lower cost as well.

After a certain point, you might be paying more for the brand name, or the extra bells and whistles (which may or may not be of any use to you based on your needs). -2 cents

Anyhow check out the thread I made, there were some good suggestions for which stethoscopes to get. @Mad Jack knew a lot about these.

 

[Breadsmel]

After a certain point, you might be paying more for the brand name, or the extra bells and whistles (which may or may not be of any use to you based on your needs).

Paying for brand in littman's case, yes, but I don't know about Jabes. There's so little on them.

 

[zeppelinpage4]

Paying for brand in littman's case, yes, but I don't know about Jabes. There's so little on them.

Yeah, sorry I can't help there unfortunately. But I will say, in my almost two years of med school, I have yet to meet a single med student or physician carrying an electronic stethoscope. I personally don't think an electronic steth will be of much use to you.

Almost everyone in my class seems to have a Cardiology III. I use an ADC copy of the cardiology III, and I have classmates using the Littmann Classic SEII, as well as the Master Cardiology. I haven't heard any complaints form my peers and have none myself. Basically, I think past a certain point, you can't really tell the difference in quality, a decent steth should serve you just fine and if it were to break or get stolen during med school, you prob won't feel as bad. Again just 2 cents from my own experience

But I've only every tried and used my own steth (and I am still really bad at using a steth and identifying sounds), so I can't actually speak for quality differences between scopes or if the extra money is worth it. But I highly doubt it is.

 

[Jepstein30]

Almost everyone gets a Cardiology III. It's absolutely overkill but it's kind of a right of passage. Get into medical school, get yourself a nice stethoscope. Note that isn't the Littmann scope you posted.. I don't think anyone in my class (or the doctors I've seen in the hospital) actually has either of those. It's this one: http://www.allheart.com/littmann-cardiology-iii-27quot-stethoscope/p/31273134/

If you end up going into a field where you absolutely need something better (and really, not quite sure that need will ever arise since the Cardiology III is a great steth).. then you can go ahead and buy one. Otherwise, why get bells and whistles when you might never actually use the whistles?

 

[Breadsmel]

Almost everyone gets a Cardiology III. It's absolutely overkill but it's kind of a right of passage. Get into medical school, get yourself a nice stethoscope. Note that isn't the Littmann scope you posted.. I don't think anyone in my class (or the doctors I've seen in the hospital) actually has either of those. It's this one: http://www.allheart.com/littmann-cardiology-iii-27quot-stethoscope/p/31273134/

Well how's the sound quality and durability of that one compared to others?

 

[DrBowtie]

Well how's the sound quality and durability of that one compared to others?

Relax. You'll spend most of your time listening on disposable ones because every pt is on contact precautions.

 

[Breadsmel]

Relax. You'll spend most of your time listening on disposable ones because every pt is on contact precautions.

And miss out on possible abnormalities? No.

I think I might just go with Cardio III unless there's any objections that will convince me otherwise.

 

[qw098]

And miss out on possible abnormalities? No.

I think I might just go with Cardio III unless there's any objections that will convince me otherwise.

Gatta love the enthusiasm of pre-meds lol

 

[TooMuchResearch]

And miss out on possible abnormalities? No.

I think I might just go with Cardio III unless there's any objections that will convince me otherwise.

No, you will listen on the disposable ones when necessary.

You don't want to be the person killing people with carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaciae just so you can hear a non-pertinent 2/6 murmur or S4.

The Cardiology III will serve you well for many years. A fancier stethoscope probably will, too.

 

[LoveIR]

Cardio III; all you need.

 

[witzelsucht]

I have a cards III becasue thats what our school made us buy. If I had to replace it, I would by a Littman Lightweight SE II. I tried my medic friend's lightweight and it is way better. Sounds the same and much lighter in the coat pocket. I know it sounds like an inconsequential thing, but it makes a difference when you have all this crap in your pockets all day.

http://www.reddingmedical.com/steth...fOk5nZiK2ThYK2K0wxjIboFXZm_YNGbi6ERoCr8Xw_wcB

 

[VisionaryTics]

You also don't know what your future career interests will be. You may end up in ophtho and never use the thing again after intern year.

👍👍

This cost me eleven bucks, and I can hear everything with it and not feel bad when I throw it in a trash can June 30 of this year.

 

[KN.MD]

I just use the plastic stethoscopes they leave outside the rooms with contact precautions. I mean... aren't they all equally good for checking reflexes?

 

[Jepstein30]

Well how's the sound quality and durability of that one compared to others?

Don't know as I haven't compared.. but it's definitely good enough to get through everything you will need to in med school and pretty much life. Maybe you'll need a fancier one if you're a cardiologist.

People legitimately use those disposable plastic ones and they work pretty much as well. They just obviously lack the look that many people want to have.

 

[Kaustikos]

Just a reminder that you can't use that fancy electronic one during exams like step 2 cs/etc.
Also; if you "need" an expensive stethoscope as a medical student ... I question the credibility. I've never been unable to hear murmurs with my "standard" one (even the benign/physiologic). I'd say having that kind of clarity will only hurt you. Using a standard one will make you more competent at listening vs relying on your budget. It's like the amateur runners buying $300 shoes because they think they need it when they don't even know how to run in the first place.

 

[jdh71]

W-A DLX

Because it's just better.

You can find deals on them for less than 200.

 

[Instatewaiter]

I just use the plastic stethoscopes they leave outside the rooms with contact precautions. I mean... aren't they all equally good for checking reflexes?

Whenever i see a doctor using one of those disposable scopes I know his medical care is probably about as good as that scope.

There is a real difference between a good scope and a crap one.

I am a big proponent of the welch allen dlx or Harvey elite but their volume is not as loud as the littmann scopes (master card and card III). The littmann scopes are probably better to learn on since they are louder.

Don't get an electronic scope. You hear a lot of background noise and look like a douche

 

[PL198]

And miss out on possible abnormalities? No.

I think I might just go with Cardio III unless there's any objections that will convince me otherwise.

lol dude actual doctors that are trained to hear stuff miss things. It's not like these things are glaringly obvious unless they're extreme. I know a cardiologist who made their own stethoscope using zip ties and tubes they bought at home depot. I'm pretty sure if it's good enough for a cardiologist, any stethoscope you get as a medical student is fine.

 

[PL198]

👍👍

This cost me eleven bucks, and I can hear everything with it and not feel bad when I throw it in a trash can June 30 of this year.

dude nice!

 

[TooMuchResearch]

Whenever i see a doctor using one of those disposable scopes I know his medical care is probably about as good as that scope.

There is a real difference between a good scope and a crap one.

I am a big proponent of the welch allen dlx or Harvey elite but their volume is not as loud as the littmann scopes (master card and card III). The littmann scopes are probably better to learn on since they are louder.

Don't get an electronic scope. You hear a lot of background noise and look like a douche

Our ICUs seem to do fine with the plastic ones. Some of our cardiologists do fine with them, too.

 

[seminoma]

And miss out on possible abnormalities? No.

I think I might just go with Cardio III unless there's any objections that will convince me otherwise.

lol.

 

[jdh71]

Our ICUs seem to do fine with the plastic ones. Some of our cardiologists do fine with them, too.

You can get drunk on keystone or natty light too but I don't recommend it to anyone past the age of 22.

You can use a ****ty scope by why would you ever want to?

I mean some folks in here seem really proud of how crappy they'd like their exam to be. It strikes me as the same kind of machismo to leads to chugging tobacco or eating a jar of Nutella. If people WANT to be a boor, fine, but it doesn't impress me.

 

[Psai]

And miss out on possible abnormalities? No.

I think I might just go with Cardio III unless there's any objections that will convince me otherwise.

It's more about the ear than the hardware. Gotta train it to listen, heart sounds are hard to distinguish
If you want to look like a doctor, get a littman or a welch allyn. If you want to look like a nurse, go for the fisher price

 

[PL198]

its transmitting vibration. is there any data on the more expensive scopes actually even being better?

 

[Instatewaiter]

Our ICUs seem to do fine with the plastic ones. Some of our cardiologists do fine with them, too.

Please let me never get medical care in your institution.

The only way you make those terrible yellow plastic scopes into anything you can remotely hear from is to cut them in half (not kidding, this makes them much better). You really should rarely use these. If your patient has a carbapenemase GNR or B cepacia fine. Otherwise use your own scope (perhaps with a glove over anything touching the patient) and clean it with the appropriate toxic baby wipes after you're done.

 

[TooMuchResearch]

Please let me never get medical care in your institution.

The only way you make those terrible yellow plastic scopes into anything you can remotely hear from is to cut them in half (not kidding, this makes them much better). You really should rarely use these. If your patient has a carbapenemase GNR or B cepacia fine. Otherwise use your own scope (perhaps with a glove over anything touching the patient) and clean it with the appropriate toxic baby wipes after you're done.

Noted. No medical care.

 

[Instatewaiter]

its transmitting vibration. is there any data on the more expensive scopes actually even being better?

Data- not from anytime recently. Somewhere out there is a study that looked at the Littmann Cardiology II (which hasn't been around for a long time). However, I have used a lot of scopes and believe it or not I was once a med student.

The scopes i've used include:
WA DLX dual head
WA harvey elite
Littmann Card III
Littmann Master card
Littman II SE
Littmann master classic
Littmann 3000
ADC electronic
HP Sprague rappaport
Mabis cardiology
A handful of Prestige medical scopes (all junk)

Go with the card III. On this list, the cheaper ones arent that much cheaper. Plus you can get a littmann cardiology III on allheart often for around $150.

 

[Jabbed]

Surprised that the OP hasn't been harassed already for contemplating buying an electronic stethoscope as an M1.

Don't do it OP. You will henceforth be known as the 'mega-douche with the electronic stethoscope'. If you must, Littmann cards III/masters are worth it.

 

[Stagg737]

For a med student, I'd pay a little more and get a good steth. When I was an EMT I had a $20 Omron and it worked fine for those years. Now that I'm in med school with a Littmann III, the difference is obvious. When you're trying to hear different sounds for the first time I would think you'd want something that's going to make them as loud and clear as possible.

Either way, don't bother with electronic. As others have said, it won't help you hear anything other than snarky comments from classmates.

 

[charmiedermie]

Relax. You'll spend most of your time listening on disposable ones because every pt is on contact precautions.

And miss out on possible abnormalities? No.

I loled for a full 5 minutes at this. I'm imagining a gung-ho med student interrupting rounds with a smile on his face, about the murmur he just heard from his electronic stethoscope, thinking it will actually change pt. care.

 

[Psai]

Data- not from anytime recently. Somewhere out there is a study that looked at the Littmann Cardiology II (which hasn't been around for a long time). However, I have used a lot of scopes and believe it or not I was once a med student.

The scopes i've used include:
WA DLX dual head
WA harvey elite
Littmann Card III
Littmann Master card
Littman II SE
Littmann master classic
Littmann 3000
ADC electronic
HP Sprague rappaport
Mabis cardiology
A handful of Prestige medical scopes (all junk)

Go with the card III. On this list, the cheaper ones arent that much cheaper. Plus you can get a littmann cardiology III on allheart often for around $150.

You need to pay closer attention to your stuff

 

[TooMuchResearch]

I loled for a full 5 minutes at this. I'm imagining a gung-ho med student interrupting rounds with a smile on his face, about the murmur he just heard from his electronic stethoscope, thinking it will actually change pt. care.

But everyone cares about the faint new crackles heard on the vented pt who has no change in the remainder of the clinical picture... ; )

 

[charmiedermie]

But everyone cares about the faint new crackles heard on the vented pt who has no change in the remainder of the clinical picture... ; )

If u buy an electronic stethoscope so u can hear crackles better, then u need to get your ears flushed. Lol.

 

[mmmcdowe]

I've seen a couple cardiologists with the electronic steth. I agree with the others go for a workhorse stethoscope and if you need something that fancy the bottom line is they may be much better by the time you have the skill or need to use one.

 

[Kaustikos]

Why spend all that money on a device that just does sound? Get a Doppler ultrasound. You'll never miss anything...ever

 

[Kahreek]

👍👍

This cost me eleven bucks, and I can hear everything with it and not feel bad when I throw it in a trash can June 30 of this year.

Damn you, now i feel jealous as hell.
On the other hand which oto/rhino/laryngoscope will you buy ? 😀

Normally any sprague copy (yeah no more originals out there) will do a good job. A bit bulky, but a classic.

 

[Kahreek]

I just use the plastic stethoscopes they leave outside the rooms with contact precautions. I mean... aren't they all equally good for checking reflexes?

I mean stainless steel has more weight and swings better. They are not all the same.

 

[Instatewaiter]

Damn you, now i feel jealous as hell.
On the other hand which oto/rhino/laryngoscope will you buy ? 😀

Normally any sprague copy (yeah no more originals out there) will do a good job. A bit bulky, but a classic.

Most sprague copies are junk and made for nurses

 

[Kahreek]

All spragues are copies. HP no longer makes them.

 

[VisionaryTics]

Damn you, now i feel jealous as hell.
On the other hand which oto/rhino/laryngoscope will you buy ? 😀

Normally any sprague copy (yeah no more originals out there) will do a good job. A bit bulky, but a classic.

I like that stethoscope because it's loud and I can hear pretty much everything a surgical intern needs to hear. It's also nice because it's cheap. I don't see why a med student should invest as much money as people like @Instatewaiter (whom I believe is a critical care fellow?)

With regards to my ENT gear, I have a nice high-power pen light that is practically a mobile surgical light, a high-quality head mirror, and a good otoscope. That otoscope fits much larger specula than average, so I get a much better view of the TM and a tighter canal seal for pneumatic otoscopy. Plus, the optics are very nice and it has a wide lens that magnifies quite a bit. You can also swing the magnifying lens out of the way, and curette or suction the EAC.

However, just because it's a superior tool to the normal craptacular otoscopes you find in primary care offices and EDs, do I think every med student needs to buy that? Hell no.

 

[JimmyB123]

Guys,

Littman Cardiology III vs Littman Cardiology II SE Classic?

 

[Instatewaiter]

I like that stethoscope because it's loud and I can hear pretty much everything a surgical intern needs to hear. It's also nice because it's cheap. I don't see why a med student should invest as much money as people like @Instatewaiter (whom I believe is a critical care fellow?)

With regards to my ENT gear, I have a nice high-power pen light that is practically a mobile surgical light, a high-quality head mirror, and a good otoscope. That otoscope fits much larger specula than average, so I get a much better view of the TM and a tighter canal seal for pneumatic otoscopy. Plus, the optics are very nice and it has a wide lens that magnifies quite a bit. You can also swing the magnifying lens out of the way, and curette or suction the EAC.

However, just because it's a superior tool to the normal craptacular otoscopes you find in primary care offices and EDs, do I think every med student needs to buy that? Hell no.

Cardiology

 

[Instatewaiter]

Guys,

Littman Cardiology III vs Littman Cardiology II SE Classic?

The II SE is like $75 and the cardiology III is like 150. I still think the cardiology III is a better scope and for the quality is relatively cheap. If you're 100% something non-clinical (rads/path) or surgery you could get away with the II SE.

 

[Instatewaiter]

Otherwise go with the cardiology III

 

[Some dude 99]

I think Cardio III is a bit of a overkill and will make things harder. Yeah... You'll be able to listen/hear stuff you won't know what it is or even worse, it'll prevent you from learning the basic. I'd go with II SE Classic for now. Great stet, you'll be able to learn a lot with it. Later, if you think you need or want something better, go with Cardiology III. You won't be wasting money on a Classic, if you buy one. That's for sure.

 

[VisionaryTics]

I think Cardio III is a bit of a overkill and will make things harder. Yeah... You'll be able to listen/hear stuff you won't know what it is or even worse, it'll prevent you from learning the basic. I'd go with II SE Classic for now. Great stet, you'll be able to learn a lot with it. Later, if you think you need or want something better, go with Cardiology III. You won't be wasting money on a Classic, if you buy one. That's for sure.

There's a lot of reasons to not spend $150 on a stethoscope.

Being concerned that you'll hear stuff you don't know is not one of them.

 

[Breadsmel]

Ordered the Cardio III on the 16th. Hopefully it'll arrive today...FedEx 2day is a heap of lies.