stethoscopes

[blueangelfightr]

Hey Everyone! This is my first post! Let me start off by saying I'm not an EMT yet, I start classes Moday, but I ride as a first aider for my local voulnteer squad. As of now, I have a littman lightweight stethoscope however I find that it can be rather useless in the back of the rig. As I'm sure most people encounter taking a BP manually can be sometimes hard when hitting bumps and moving all over. The biggest problem for me is that if I tap the top side of it while doing something I can hear the tap. Well, not too bad right? It can be going over the bumps and moving around constantly which ruins my results. i'm sure almost all of you have to deal with this daily. However, when I use my mothers (shes a nurse) littman master classic, I do not get any noises except what I want to hear. My question, would it be better to just get the master classic, or do you have any tips to help keep noise levels down with my lightweight? Thanks for any/all advice.

[paramedicmike]

Your first post, yet you have failed to read the all important user agreement which says to search for your topic before creating a new one.

The search feature is your friend. Google is your friend. Please read the user agreement and site rules.

You can start here:

http://www.emtcity.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=213

And before you think you're getting jumped on over this, I'm being nice about it. Your welcome could've been so much worse.

-be safe.

[medic001918]

...or do you have any tips to help keep noise levels down with my lightweight? Thanks for any/all advice.

Here's my advice...learn to take a blood pressure with the stethoscope that you already have. It's more than adequate for your level. Practice in other noisy environments. Don't move too much when you do it. Press enough on the bell to seal out other noises. Do as many blood pressures as you can until you can do it w/little to no effort. Don't purchase a piece of equipment to make up for your own lack of skill. Once you have the skill down, reward that skill with the quality equipment that you want and desire.

And paramedicmike was being nice. Use the search feature....you'll find many questions that have already been answered.

Shane

NREMT-P

[blueangelfightr]

I know how to take a blood pressure anywhere. It's not the matter of getting it, it's the matter of being very touchy when i move my fingers above bell when moving as I stated. I'll try pushing down harder next time and see where that gets me. And thanks for the welcome mike. :roll:

[Scaramedic]

First off Welcome to the city.

I agree try pressing harder but, there's always a but, also try not pressing so hard. Littman's have pressure sensitive diaphragms and sometimes if you press too hard you can lose sensitivity.

As far as practice, here's a good idea. Take blood pressures on your wife or girlfriend. Put on the cuff and get ready to pump it up, then ask her about her day or the last time she went shopping. If she is anything like my wife her chatter will equal that of any noisy environment.

:wink:

[JeniF371]

OMG Marty... what a smart ass...

Good thought though..

[blueangelfightr]

I agree try pressing harder but, there's always a but, also try not pressing so hard. Littman's have pressure sensitive diaphragms and sometimes if you press too hard you can lose sensitivity.

Thanks for the welcome. See, thats exactally my problem. Press too lightly you get nothing, and if you do it too hard it reduces the problem of my hand moving, but I still get weak/nothing. Thats why I made the post. And idc about chatting, because I can deal with that. It's the tapping that can sound like a pulse and screw me up (don't know when the real one started/stopped). Oh well, I'll keep trying and practicing and see what I can do. Thanks for the idea though.

[paramedicmike]

As was previously mentioned, if you do a search for this topic here in the forums I can *guarantee* you that you will find additional information that will help you.

Instead of trying to re-invent the wheel by asking a question that has been asked many times before, why not just look around and see that the information you're looking for is already here?

And I was being nice. If you'd like me to be rude I can accomadate you. But I'd rather it not go that route.

-be safe.

[blueangelfightr]

As was previously mentioned, if you do a search for this topic here in the forums I can *guarantee* you that you will find additional information that will help you.

Instead of trying to re-invent the wheel by asking a question that has been asked many times before, why not just look around and see that the information you're looking for is already here?

And I was being nice. If you'd like me to be rude I can accomadate you. But I'd rather it not go that route.

-be safe.

I have no problem searching.. I'm on many other forums and I search alot. However on the re-inventing the wheel thing... Wheels were stone once, then wood, and more recently we got rubber tires on wheels. Hey, I think wheels wrapped with rubber tires are better then stone wheels. Don't you agree? I mean sure they go flat sometimes, but it's a much smoother ride with the reinvented rubber. Think about what life would be like if people didn't re-invent things. I mean dial up came before broadband, I'm glad they re-invented that. Now I can read your posts quicker. And please, no need to be rude you've done a good enough job. Thank you for your time.