STETHOSCOPES

What is a stethoscope?

What is a Stethoscope?

Whether you are starting nursing school or monitoring your health at home, one of the most useful instruments is a stethoscope. A stethoscope will typically have a small disk-shaped resonator called the chest piece that is placed against the patient, and two tubes connected to earpieces. A stethoscope will transmit sound from the chest piece, through the tube and earpieces so that the person listening is able to hear internal body sounds of the patient. Listening with a stethoscope can give you a more accurate idea of what may be going on inside the body to monitor health conditions and general vitals.

If you are not trained you may have some floating thoughts about how to use a stethoscope. Luckily we are here to help you get comfortable with your new MDF® stethoscope.

Parts of a Stethoscope

A modern stethoscope typically consists of:

• Earpieces: These fit into the ears and are designed to block out external noise.
• Tubing: The flexible tube that transmits sound from the chest piece to the earpieces.
• Chest Piece: The part of the stethoscope placed on the patient to pick up sounds. The chest piece usually has a diaphragm and a bell. The diaphragm is used for high-frequency sounds, while the bell is used for low-frequency sounds.

The parts of a stethoscope including the tubing, ear pieces, binaural headset, and chest piece are all covered under our Lifetime Warranty. The smaller replacement parts of the stethoscope such as the diaphragm, non-chill ring, silicon earbuds, and stethoscope name tags are included in our Free-Parts-For-Life-Program. To learn more about getting free stethoscope parts, please visit this page How to Get Free Parts. 

What are the parts of an MDF® stethoscope chest piece?

With our patented Titanium SoundTight™ Glide-Lock-System™ (GLS), we’ve minimized sound loss of this crucial indexing mechanism. Simply push, turn, and the GLS will lock itself into place. What does the green dot by the chestpiece mean? The green dot located on the stem of the chestpiece will indicate which side of the chestpiece is active. The stem will rotate to the diaphragm or bell side with the green dot indicating the open channel. With MDF® stethoscopes, auscultation is made easy, using our True Bell & True Diaphragm dual-head chestpiece. The bell side focuses on low frequency sounds while the Ultra-sensitive Diaphragm handles high frequencies. Low frequency sounds may include low bowels and heart murmurs. The cover that contains the MDF® Logo is the diaphragm and retaining ring. MDF® Instruments has also come out with our PureSona® Single-Use Diaphragms, that are used for infection control and easy use.

What is a Stethoscope Used For?

A stethoscope is a medical instrument used for listening to internal body sounds such as heart, lung and bowel sounds. Used daily by medical practitioners to assess and diagnose patients as well as take blood pressure readings, the stethoscope is an essential tool. 

Listening to Heart Sounds

A stethoscope allows practitioners to listen for sounds like heart murmurs, leaky valves and arrhythmias, leading to the discovery of various heart conditions. Listening to heart sounds is often a part of regular physical examination. 

Lung Examination

By using a stethoscope to listen to the lung sounds of a patient, various lung conditions and diseases and be diagnosed such as pneumonia and asthma. Listening for normal or abnormal breathing sounds can provide a practitioner with important information in regards to patient treatment.

Blood Pressure Measurement

A stethoscope and a sphygmomanometer can be used to obtain a patient's blood pressure reading. The chest piece of the stethoscope is placed over the brachial artery of the patients. When the cuff is inflated, the stethoscope is used to listen to the Korotkoff sounds which will indicate the systolic and diastolic pressures. 

How Does a Stethoscope Detect Sound?

Simply put, a stethoscope is designed to transmit sound vibrations. When the stethoscope diaphragm is pressed against the patient, it will pick up vibrations and generate sound waves that travel through the tubing and into the ears of the listener. The acoustic clarity will greatly depend on how the stethoscope and materials of the stethoscope are constructed to reflect sound. 

Who Uses a Stethoscope?

Anyone can use a stethoscope to listen to sounds, and there are many uses beyond medical care, but to diagnose using a stethoscope will require medical training. Stethoscopes are used often by students and healthcare providers such as nurses, doctors, EMT's, veterinarians, CNA's and more. Stethoscopes can also be used to listen to internal sounds of machines and are sometimes used by mechanics. Some people may have a stethoscope at home to take their own blood pressure reading or to use during pregnancy to listen to their baby's heartbeat.

How to Choose a Stethoscope?

Choosing a stethoscope is easier said than done, and with so many options available you want to be sure that you’re investing in a quality instrument that will last.

Being an essential tool, you also need to be sure that your stethoscope meets the needs of you and your patients, so let’s start there. Your specialty can determine the type of stethoscope you will need. If you will be seeing adult sized patients, you can choose from a variety of adult sized stethoscopes however if you are a pediatrician you will need a stethoscope with a smaller chest piece designed for smaller sized patients. If you are a veterinarian, you may want a stethoscope that converts for several patient sizes.

Once you’ve determined what size stethoscope you will need, the next step is to evaluate the quality of material and construction. Because of the nature of how a stethoscope works, higher end stethoscopes tend to be made from materials like titanium or stainless steel that are better suited for transmitting sound, compared to more economical stethoscopes typically constructed of lightweight aluminum.

Our stethoscope builder allows you to build your own stethoscope starting with the model. Choose the Acoustica® for a general use adult sized stethoscope at a great price, or the MD One® Epoch Titanium Stethoscope for a durable and quality stethoscope that converts for adult and pediatric patients with the optional attachment clip (sold separately). Upgrade to the ProCardial® Titanium for a cardiology grade stethoscope with premium sound and the ability to convert for adult, pediatric and infant/neonatal patients with the optional attachment clip (sold separately). Once you select your model, choose from different metal finish colors, tube colors, prints and add a personalized engraving message.

For more ideas on how to choose the best stethoscope for you, read our guide.

Why Choose MDF Stethoscopes?

MDF® stethoscopes are handcrafted in the same artisan tradition since 1971.  The stethoscopes we create and what you do, directly impact humanity so providing you with super-duty, high-performance stethoscopes is our mission. Because of our relentless pursuit to provide quality instruments, we're able to back our stethoscopes with a Lifetime Warranty and 90-Day Money Back Guarantee. Your stethoscope needs to work as hard as you do and it needs to last, which is why we also provide you with free stethoscope parts with our Free-Parts-For-Life-Program. Get free replacement parts like eartips and stethoscope name tags, for the life of the instrument.

Together we have the ability to improve the state of healthcare and quality of life for many. Together we are Crafting Wellness.

CRAFTING WELLNESS STORIES

your purchase helps medical missions

With your support, we provide medical missions with the equipment needed to perform basic medical assessments and treatments, that are so desperately needed in many areas of the world. Together we can bring wellness to the most remote communities, who are just beginning to establish a reliable healthcare system, and make a positive and healthy impact on the community.