Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Title: Re: [RC]  Stethoscopes

You can go too far the other way—pay too much. When I was in med school, I paid $250 for a fancy Sprague-Rappaport (two famous cardiologists) model made by Hewlett-Packard. After a while I couldn’t hear squat. Then I bought a battery-operated one that was wholly unsatisfactory, too. I’ve used a lot of $20 and $30 ones—the kind clinics buy 20 of just to have around.

For endurance I went to the Stanford medical bookstore, tried a bunch of stethoscopes, and settled on a $100 Littman with turquoise tubing—very identifiable! (For any money, I think Littman is the best.) It has both a diaphragm and a bell. The bell lets you hear lower tones, like some hard-to-hear horsey lub-bups. I find doing P&Rs, I often have to turn the scope around to the bell side. Anyone coming down (out?) to Tejon Fandango is welcome to try it out!

So I recommend the cheapest 2-sided Littman that you can hear out of.

Beverley


On 9/19/07 8:17 AM, "Chrystal Woodhouse" <Chrystal@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I am with Dawn, had a $12 stethoscope that I couldn't hear anything unless someone YELLED :-) a $25.00 that worked intermittently and not great for gut sounds, finally ordered a $80 one from an endurance vet and it has been awesome for 3 years, I probably would have tried a $40 one before going for the $80- one but my hubby   p/r's  at lots of our rides & really wanted a good and comfortable one and who was I to argue as long as he was coming and driving?????:-) ;-) I get the horse,saddle,truck and trailer he gets the stethoscope.lol :-) 
>
> Chrystal