The instrument we know as the stethoscope allows a person to hear sounds produced by the body and organs. The original stethoscope, invented by a French physician named Rene Laennec in 1816, was nothing more than a short wooden tube that had a broad bell shaped flange at one end that would be placed on the patient.
The sounds of both breathing and of the hearts actions could be heard when it was placed against the chest with the physicians ear against the other end. Until the early twentieth century little had changed about the stethoscope until a New York doctor named G.P. Cammann developed the modern looking binaural instrument we see today.
This new stethoscope now had two earpieces that were connected with a chest cone by two flexible tubes. Not only could the doctor now listen with both ears but the flexible tubes allowed for a quicker examination because the cone could be placed on different parts of the body without the doctor having to change his position.
Fast forward to today and the electronic stethoscope allows several doctors or nurses to listen to the same thing at the same time.
Auscultation, also known as using a stethoscope, can be used together with percussion, or light tapping, to determine the health or abnormality of different organs. The kinds of sounds emitted back after percussion can reveal certain aspects of the organ in question.
The stethoscope in the hands of an experienced clinician can be used to detect abnormalities early on to allow for better treatment, and thus outcome for the patient.
Finally, the flexible parts of a stethoscope should not be cleaned with solvents or alcohol. These can deteriorate and hasten the lifespan of the stethoscope.
The acoustic performance of the stethoscope can be hindered if not lubricated periodically where the chest piece rotates around the tube. This can happen when the lubrication runs out and the finely tuned metal pieces rub against each other.
Cleaning the stethoscope will also remove lubricants, making periodic lubrication essential. Most lubricants must be kept away from rubber, vinyl, and plastic parts.
The sounds of both breathing and of the hearts actions could be heard when it was placed against the chest with the physicians ear against the other end. Until the early twentieth century little had changed about the stethoscope until a New York doctor named G.P. Cammann developed the modern looking binaural instrument we see today.
This new stethoscope now had two earpieces that were connected with a chest cone by two flexible tubes. Not only could the doctor now listen with both ears but the flexible tubes allowed for a quicker examination because the cone could be placed on different parts of the body without the doctor having to change his position.
Fast forward to today and the electronic stethoscope allows several doctors or nurses to listen to the same thing at the same time.
Auscultation, also known as using a stethoscope, can be used together with percussion, or light tapping, to determine the health or abnormality of different organs. The kinds of sounds emitted back after percussion can reveal certain aspects of the organ in question.
The stethoscope in the hands of an experienced clinician can be used to detect abnormalities early on to allow for better treatment, and thus outcome for the patient.
Finally, the flexible parts of a stethoscope should not be cleaned with solvents or alcohol. These can deteriorate and hasten the lifespan of the stethoscope.
The acoustic performance of the stethoscope can be hindered if not lubricated periodically where the chest piece rotates around the tube. This can happen when the lubrication runs out and the finely tuned metal pieces rub against each other.
Cleaning the stethoscope will also remove lubricants, making periodic lubrication essential. Most lubricants must be kept away from rubber, vinyl, and plastic parts.
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