The stethoscope has been around for more than two centuries and doctors have been using them to help diagnose a condition or just to track the health of the patient. It is said that they are the most durable products available in every hospital or doctor’s office and that they are the most commonly used unit. In this article, we are going to talk about these units, how they are used, how they make a difference in disease diagnosis, and how they are merging with modern technology. Continue reading if you want to know more about the most popular and commonly used medical device that has saved the lives of billions of people.
Why do we need them and where they are used?
The first thing we are going to talk about is what do medical professionals use them for. Well, they are mostly used to find any signs of a disease or just something that differs from the normal.
They can be used to check the lungs of the patient, or the heart. When it comes to the heart, the GP usually listens for any irregular beats, murmurs, or even signs of heart failure. Even though they are not going to show the right diagnosis, and even though they are not going to be as precise as other devices available in the field of medicine, they are still the easiest way to see if there is something wrong with the heart or the lungs of the patient.
Source: pixabay.com
When it comes to your lungs, the GP will look for any signs of difficulty breathing, pneumonia, and they can even track the way your lungs are working. They can detect if there is any lung failure, and they can see how the disease progresses or onsets.
Note that in some cases, these devices may be used to check the contestants, as well as the way to check the blood flow in the veins and arteries.
These devices are not used only for humans but also for every living being, and veterinarians commonly use them to check the condition of our pets or livestock.
Modern-day diseases
Now let’s talk about modern society, the obstacles we are facing now, and how technological advancements have helped with the stethoscopes.
Currently, we are living in a world of a pandemic, and the coronavirus affects the lungs, so they are the first thing that doctors reach for when needing to check the health of the patient. Know that they can easily help the infectologist follow the condition of the person who was infected with COVID-19, and they can see if there is a need for hospitalization, or if the lungs are working properly.
Since this virus affects pretty much every single part of our bodies, the specialist will also check the heart for murmurs, and they may also use the stethoscope to check and see if there is proper blood flow in the veins and arteries.
However, we all know that not all people who are suspected to have the virus are actually positive, and some doctors, especially the primary physicians will check dozens of patients that may or may not have the virus. Because of this, they need to make sure that the device is properly cleaned after each use so that they can protect both their patients and themselves.
Source: pixabay.com
You can learn here about the best way to clean the unit before and after use, and you can also find more information on how frequently you should do it, and what you should use to make sure you don’t damage the device.
Latest technology
The last thing we are going to talk about is the latest advancements in this field and how they helped with better diagnosis.
Currently, there are stethoscopes that are able to not only check the vital signs of the patient and help with the diagnosis, but they can also record their findings. This is said to be one of the biggest advancements and it helps with different opinions, diagnoses, and medical councils.
Know that in some cases, when the main doctor is not able to check the patient personally, they can send a younger doctor to do the checkup, and then, the senior GP can see the images and the recordings from the device to check the condition of the patient.
This is extremely beneficial because the mistakes are limited, and the chances of missing something out are extremely rare. These findings and recordings can help you with presentations and creating better research documents. Know that when we are able to follow the condition of the patient without having to write everything down, the device can help with following the disease and finding the right therapy.
Source: unsplash.com
Sometimes, when there is not enough information, or when the patient changes GPs during their therapy, the second doctor will not be able to compare the results the first one got. However, when we can easily share previous findings, and when we can compare results, it is easier to decide on the right treatment or to continue or change the current therapy.
In addition to all this, there are new models that are created by integrating different types of sensors that can track the condition and the disease of the patient, and they are mostly used for extreme cases of heart failure. With the use of the latest technology devices, doctors are able to save time, and the need for too many excessive tests is limited. Nowadays, we don’t need to have several different tests done that could cost thousands of dollars, but instead, the GPs can easily check our condition with just the use of the stethoscope.
These are some of the main things you should know about this device, the usage, the needs, and how it has changed in the past decade or two. It is expected for this unit to be improved and that in the near future that we will have high-tech units that are able to detect more than changes with the heart or the lungs. Researchers are constantly working on improving every device that is used in the field of medicine, and with that prevent serious conditions and save the lives of millions.
