A stethoscope is a medical instrument used by healthcare professionals, particularly doctors and nurses, to listen to sounds within the human body. It consists of a flexible tube with two earpieces and a chest piece. The chest piece typically has a diaphragm and a bell, which are used to detect different types of sounds.
- Diaphragm: The flat, circular, and usually larger side of the chest piece is the diaphragm. It is sensitive to high-frequency sounds and is commonly used to listen to normal heart sounds, lung sounds, and bowel sounds.
- Bell: The bell is the smaller, cup-shaped side of the chest piece. It is used for detecting low-frequency sounds, such as certain heart murmurs.
To use a stethoscope, the healthcare professional places the chest piece against the patient’s skin, and the earpieces are worn in the ears to listen to the internal sounds of the body. Stethoscopes are crucial tools in diagnosing various medical conditions and are commonly associated with routine physical examinations, cardiovascular assessments, respiratory assessments, and abdominal examinations.