Disposable Stethoscopes?!

Why do we use them? And why do they hurt my ears so badly?

[sopyleecrypt]

And some will say they are wasteful too, but I think medicine is the only sector that gets almost a free pass when it comes to single-use plastics. It can be lifesaving.

[Sam-nfgy]

“How are their lung sounds/bowel tones?”

“Honestly, I have no idea because I had to use the isolation stethoscope”

-An actual conversation that happened during report last week.

[megp]

And I LOVE when you've got one of these and a PAPR. Charting lung sounds... "Uh, they're breathing..."

[Lost-in-Wonderland]

We had a few even here in the U.K when my son was moved to a individual room instead of the 4 bed bay ward because he had Rsv, bronchiolitis, and a bacterial chest infection. I had so much fun trying trying learn heart chambers and lung lobe sounds only to realise that the sounds were so distorted after a consultant gave me hers to try out when she caught me practising on my partner.

[TheGuitarMan]

In most cases of possible infection we just clean ours with ethanol or put a glove around the stethoscope haha, so these are mostly used by nurses and at the OR

[KristenRowenPliske]

I’ve used those a lot. You’re right about then being uncomfortable. After losing TWO good stethoscopes at my last job-dumb me left them behind but another dumb took them-i gave up and resorted to using that mess. On the other hand, I’ve seen many doctors put plastic gloves over the bell when examining a patient with an infectious disease, so I guess they might agree with you, too.

[theawesomerocker]

As a respiratory therapist, I can say this is most definitely the worst

[kenstr]

Just a tip for the ear digging. The first time you use bend the ear pieces down. This will cause the spring (the metal band between the ear pieces) to deform and ease how hard they rest on your ears.

[ceneblock]

I wonder if Littmann could make some sort of disposable ear adapter for them.

Much like a glove, you'd grab one, slip it on, and it'd soften them and provide better isolation.

[BrigitteNP]

Yes!!! I’m
Glad I’m not the only one. I can never hear anything but ambient noise with those. I started putting a glove on top of my stethoscope and throwing away the glove after I’m done with the patient. I can hear much better with this method.

[flautalee]

These aren’t single use; they are single-patient stethoscopes. This is better than back in the day when stethoscopes were purchased by practitioners (RN’s and Docs) and were carried from room to room, usually around that person’s neck.

That these stethoscopes are not decent quality, though, concerns me, because a stethoscope is an important diagnostic tool.

[amaliawilde]

I have never once heard a single heart sound out of one of those damn things in 3 years of nursing and two years of CNA.

[PinAViolet]

Weird that they don't make some kind of stethoscope condom that you leave with the patient so you can all use your nice ones

[helenebee]

Oh, thank you for this. It is nice to have company. It makes the negative seem not as bad when you are not by yourself.

[Kris-cuvx]

I can never hear much through them.. I use my own and wipe it with a bleach/alcohol wipe right after (depending on the infection) Sure it means my stethoscope will need replacing more often, but it seems worth it to me

[Troublemaker-rc]

They do come in handy in a shop.
Makes it easier to figure out where the noise in the engine is coming from.

[KBreck]

Be careful and always clean the ear pieces throughly! I was a paramedic and we had shared stethoscopes on our stretchers. My partner once got an ear infection from one and had green pus coming out of her ear.

[nihitkhunteta]

I have used some of those as well, hate them with a passion.
Once I used one of these, turns out the earpiece was a Let's go with defective, so the inner metal tube would slide out of the earpiece and well almost pierced my eardrum since that tube had sharp edge, thank god I caught that as soon as I put it on or something would have gone seriously wrong

[DjamTG]

I remember when I was little, I was in the hospital for a week and missed Christmas because I had pneumonia. The hospital staff bought all the kids who were sick in the hospital presents and they let me keep that stethoscope after I was sent home. I am forever grateful and will never forget their kindness!

[mikeE]

Honestly its so easy to wipe down a stethoscope, and it should be a routine like foam in foam out, particularly for patients on contact precautions.