Stethoscopes

Which Littmann model is right for you

The difference between the models lies in the chestpiece: how many sides it has, whether the diaphragm is tunable and how large it is. The price follows that scale, not the colour.

• Classic III — dual-sided chestpiece with tunable diaphragm. The smaller side converts to an open bell by replacing the diaphragm with the included bell ring. Sufficient for lungs, heart and blood pressure on the ward, in outpatient clinics and during training, and the model most people start with.
• Cardiology IV — dual-sided chestpiece with tunable diaphragms on both sides and a larger adult side. The smaller side works both on children and on thin or bandaged adults where a large chestpiece cannot make skin contact. Dual-lumen tubing, meaning two separate sound channels in one tube.
• Master Cardiology — single-sided, hand-polished chestpiece with tunable diaphragm. No paediatric side: you switch between low- and high-frequency sounds solely by the pressure against the skin.
• Master Classic II — single-sided chestpiece with tunable diaphragm, smaller and lighter than the Master Cardiology. Suits you if you want to avoid turning the chestpiece over but do not need the size of the cardiology model.
• Lightweight II SE — the lightweight model, with a diaphragm on one side and an open bell on the other. Built for blood pressure measurement and basic auscultation rather than for assessing murmurs.
• Classic II Pediatric and Infant — the same design in a smaller format. Pediatric for children and adolescents, Infant with an extra-small chestpiece for newborns. Both can be converted to an open bell with the included bell ring.
• CORE Digital — electronic amplification with noise reduction, and the option to switch to purely acoustic mode. Connects wirelessly to the app, where auscultation can be displayed, recorded and shared. Charged via USB.

If you are unsure, most people choose correctly based on a single question: will you be assessing heart sounds, or listening to lungs and taking blood pressure? The former justifies a Cardiology IV or Master Cardiology; the latter makes a Classic III or Lightweight II SE a perfectly adequate choice.

Fit, care and wear parts

A stethoscope that sounds poor is usually incorrectly adjusted, not the wrong purchase. The headset should angle forward, in the direction of the ear canal, and the eartips must seal — if they leak, switch to the other size. The tubing ages and stiffens over the years, but diaphragms, eartips and complete spare parts kits are available for every series under stethoscope spare parts, together with ID tags that attach to the tubing. Under stethoscope cases you will find a hard and a soft case for when you carry your stethoscope in a bag.

The rest of the working day

The same examination calls for blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters and thermometers as well as penlights and reflex hammers. Personal accessories such as nurse fob watches, scrub caps and badge holders are found under personal equipment.