Quick Overview
- Stethoscopes remain essential even after all those years. They are a non-invasive way of assessing patients. Especially when devices aren’t practical or available.
- Stethoscopes help detect cardiac issues: In urgent cases or post-surgical recovery, stethoscopes help detect cardiac issues before surgery and assess bowel function, making them a fast, efficient tool in time-sensitive care.
Doctors have been listening to patients’ hearts, lungs, and intestines using stethoscopes, for over two centuries to assess their health.
René Laennec, a French physician, invented the first stethoscope – an improvised hollow tube – in 1816, 200 years ago, because he was embarrassed about placing his ear on a woman’s chest to listen to her heartbeat.
Since then, stethoscopes have become a hallmark of the medical profession, with their disc-shaped resonator and two tubes connecting to earpieces.
However, there have been calls in recent years for doctors to abandon stethoscopes in favor of high-tech equipment.
The stethoscope is considered a “relic” by some. Other smartphone-connected devices can enhance heartbeats, aid diagnosis, and send data wirelessly to patients’ electronic medical records.
These advancements appear to be astounding, and there’s little doubt that medicine is on its way to becoming more high-tech. However, there are some instances where an old-fashioned stethoscope is more than adequate. These are some of them:
- Assesing pregnant women who are short of breath:
These patients frequently dislike taking chest X-rays or CT scans. Because the sounds vary depending on the disease, a stethoscope can assist detect if their breathing problems are caused by things like a flare-up of asthma or pneumonia. - Checking heart rate:
Many patients have an abnormally fast heart rate. Doctors frequently prescribe beta-blockers to lower the heart rate to a more typical range of 60 beats per minute. However, measuring heart rate with two fingers on the wrist can sometimes be misleading because not every pulse can be detected using this method. When the stethoscope is placed on the chest at the same time, however, it is clear when a heartbeat is not reaching the wrist. - Measuring blood pressure:
Many electronic devices now have the ability to automatically measure blood pressure. They do, however, occasionally go out of whack or break down. When the electronic gadgets fail, the stethoscope and sphygmomanometer are a good backup. - Detecting cardiac problems:
Doctors frequently want to know if a patient has a pre-existing heart issue that could cause surgical difficulties before beginning a surgery. An echocardiography can be used to provide a conclusive diagnosis. However, ordering and performing the test takes time. The stethoscope, on the other hand, can help discover cardiac abnormalities in patients who require immediate surgery, such as a senior who has fallen and broken his hip. - Getting a sense of how well a patient is recovering from surgery:
The anesthesia used in surgery causes the bowels to slow down. When patients wake up after a surgery, they often have little appetite and may be queasy. The doctor can typically determine the patient’s state of recuperation by listening to the stomach using a stethoscope. A “more ideal, more exact, and more thorough assessment” can be made in each of these instances. However, there are situations when the classic stethoscope is the more practical and desirable option.
In each of these cases, a more “ideal, more exact and more elaborate assessment” can be done. But sometimes the trusty stethoscope is the practical and preferable choice.