So, I lost my trusty littmann cardiology iii a few months ago and am in the market for a new stethoscope. Turns out the III has been discontinued and replaced by the IV. I was all set to pick up a IV, but read the reviews for this and there appears to be a flaw in the design that makes the diaphragms prone to falling off. This makes me leary of picking it up. I also had a II SE in the past but it seems to have been replaced by the classic III. I am NOT looking for something a cardiologist needs. Just need something to identify basic murmurs, clearly hear breath sounds, and listen to bowel sounds. Any recommendations?
I am a little picky when it comes to stethoscopes.
I have a cardiology IV now, had a cardiology III before it walked away, have a DLX, have a master cardiology, used the 3100 electronic for a while. I am a cardiologist. You know what a cardiologist needs? An echo machine.
I have basically created the same post about 1000 times on SDN at this point but the long and short is:
- Littmann Cardiology III/IV has a better diaphragm than the Welch Allyn products (tycos/DLX).
- The DLX has a far superior bell.
- Most of the schmucks don't know what the bell is for and sure as sh8t can't hear a gallop to save their life anyway.
- I say go with the cardiology IV and call it a day. It says, "I care enough to listen to the organs but am not a pretentious douche enough to spend three or four hundred bucks on a stethoscope."
IMHO, the master cardiology isn't a very good scope. I used one for a while and then stopped b/c I just didn't find it's bell/low pitched very good or it's diaphragm. On skinny COPDers/End Stage HF patients you can't get addequate purchase to hear much.