By: Group 8 of BSN1-11H
In the medical field, nurses use multiple equipment and apparatus that aid them to easily accomplish a specific task which may range from a small thermometer to a million-dollar CT scan and automated surgical machines. Now, I want to start with the ultimate basic apparatus every medical student must have, which is the stethoscope. A Stethoscope is a medical device used for auscultation or listening to the sounds of the body during a physical examination. This apparatus consists of 4 major parts which are the earpieces, y-tubing, and chest piece that contains the bell and diaphragm which some parts are detached upon receiving for some brands. In terms of usage, this apparatus has multiple purposes, such as taking blood pressure and listening to heart, abdomen, lung, and even bowel sounds which are all entailed to a specific purpose. An instance is auscultation of hearing heartbeats where you must be able to hear the “lub” “dub” sounds of the cardiac valves opening and closing, in which other different sounds signify abnormal heart status that can be fatal and dangerous if not checked.
Delving deeper into its mechanism, first, you need to attach the pieces all together and make sure it is intact. The second step is to open the stethoscope chest piece by twisting it. Next is to identify what kind of sounds are you aiming to hear. If you are targeting to hear heart murmurs, then you must use the bell or the hollow part of the chest piece as it is used for listening to low-frequency sounds. While for high-frequency sounds, you must use the diaphragm. Lastly, for proper maintenance, keep it clean by sanitizing it at all times, keep it away from direct sunlight, avoid twisting it too much, and put it in a stethoscope case for protection.
Published: March 14, 2024
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