I need help with a stethoscope

[Maiden of Karhold]

Hello!

 

I'm a medicine student from Poland. I've just started, it's my first year, but in summer I will have to go through practicing in a hospital. I will buy a stethoscope, probably the e-scope or one from ThinkLabs (I'll give links below). I heard from my audiologist in Germany and another doctor that the best way is to connect the implant with the stethoscope via a cable. I have a question (or two): first, do you think those cables on page 13 of the PDF about e-scope will fit to a Medel implant (I have 2 Medel impants)? They are shown with a hearing aid buuuut... They look like they'd fit.

The PDF I'm talking about ---->   http://www.cardionics.com/pdffiles/CatalogE-Scope.pdf

 

Second question: what do you think about this one? http://www.thinklabs.com/

 

Would you pick the e-scope or the ThinkLabs one? This question is especially for medics but if you have an opinion and are not a medic, it's still welcome!

 

[Mary Beth]

Hi,

I am not a medic but on some board I did read CI users comparing notes on stethoscopes. I just don't recall where I saw that.

In your first link they describe the cable as a direct audio input cable. That is what we have in our Med-El kits as well. You may be able to use your Med-El cable.

[Kara of Canada]

Ask Ivana she's a doctor.

[Ivana Marinac]

Hello!

 

I'm a medicine student from Poland. I've just started, it's my first year, but in summer I will have to go through practicing in a hospital. I will buy a stethoscope, probably the e-scope or one from ThinkLabs (I'll give links below). I heard from my audiologist in Germany and another doctor that the best way is to connect the implant with the stethoscope via a cable. I have a question (or two): first, do you think those cables on page 13 of the PDF about e-scope will fit to a Medel implant (I have 2 Medel impants)? They are shown with a hearing aid buuuut... They look like they'd fit.

The PDF I'm talking about ---->   http://www.cardionics.com/pdffiles/CatalogE-Scope.pdf

 

Second question: what do you think about this one? http://www.thinklabs.com/

 

Would you pick the e-scope or the ThinkLabs one? This question is especially for medics but if you have an opinion and are not a medic, it's still welcome!

 

Hello Maiden

 

I'm from Croatia and I am a medical doctor although I am not deaf and do not wear a cochlear implant I have moderate to severe hearing loss, conductive type due to my congenital deformations of both external and middle ear. Although I have used a BTE during my medical school days, almost 3 years ago I got a Bonebridge implant so I needed to find another solution.

From my experience (although I have not used E-Scope) it is well-known product, little bit old-fashioned but reliable. On the other side Thinklab looks lot more modern and it is easier to handle with this steth. I have contacted them and got amazing response - up-to-date in all fields.

I have closely read everything what both companies put on their websites and find out that both companies recommend connecting it via cable. I don't have that possibility, but I would follow their advice - and tested wireless option in the meantime.

 

Moreover, Thinklab has the Thinklink, a software which allows you to actually visualize what is happening with lung or heart of your patient - this is great advantage: http://www.thinklabs.com/#!thinklink/cbor

First visual software was developed by Stethographics and there I started to follow this particular field of medicine of future. I haven't seen this option with E-Scope.

 

Here is a YT short movie which shows you a different between 3M Litmann stethoscope and Thinklab. Although this is not a direct comparison, you can familiar with reliability of the Thinklab's One stethoscope. Spoiler: it is better than 3M.

 

This is the website where you can find out how to connect E-Scope with you cochlear implants, if you decide to go with them:

https://amphl.org/amphl-pulse/2010-march/e-scope-ii-electronic-stethoscope-for-use-with-cochlear-implants/

 

One more detail for the end which is not least important: it is not enough just to buy this equipment, you have to adjust your program to hear low frequencies. Most programs for implants are programmed from 200Hz above which is not enough to hear these particular sounds which starts from 70Hz.

Quote: While there appears to be some discrepancy regarding the exact frequencies of various internal body sounds, breath/lung sounds may range from 70 Hz to 4000 Hz (Cardionics, 2008) with most falling below 2000 Hz (Noland, 2009). The most critical breath/lung sounds used for differential diagnosis fall in the 200 Hz to 600 Hz frequency range (Abrams, 1987). In contrast, heart sounds fall in the 20 Hz to 650 Hz frequency range (Rennert, Morris, & Barrere, 2004), although the most essential heart sounds for differential diagnosis fall in the 70 Hz to 120 Hz frequency range (Noland, 2009; Cardionics, 2008). 

https://www.oaktreeproducts.com/amp-steth-ha-programming

[Ivana Marinac]

By the way, Maiden - welcome to the Hearpeers

Can you tell a little bit about yourself? Up to now I have heard for one medical doctor in the U.S. who specialize Internal medicine. 

I am an otorhinolaryngologist.

[Maiden of Karhold]

Thank you all for those replies, I didn't expect to get any information here that fast! I will consider what you told me and all that information will be helpful. Any more info will be welcome. I just worried about the type of the cable, that it wouldn't fit for Medel or something, I think I will choose the cable option obviously. I'll just think about it and order one of them soon. A big drawback for me is the cost of shipping... And the fact I can't go to a shop in Poland and try one of these stethoscopes out. I have already adjusted my CI programmes to lower frequencies, I only need the stethoscope now.

 

By the way, thank you for the welcome as well Okay, I'll tell you a bit more about myself. I'm 20, I have hearing loss in both ears and I used to have hearing aids but they stopped being useful after many years because my hearing loss was getting worse and worse (I have a rare genetic mutation which causes death of certain cells in my cochlea and they were dying gradually during my life). I had two operations -now I have a cochlear implant on each ear and it's fantastic. I didn't even imagine it is THAT good. Quite suprisingly for some people, I listen to metal. In the past it has been mostly noise to me but thanks to the implants I discovered that music genre anew. I'm fascinated with medicine and history and I worked hard to get to the studies I wanted and my dream came true, now I began studying medicine and I will probably become a MD. I'm not 100% certain which specialization I'll pick but psychiatry, genetics, anaesthesiology or forensic medicine are interesting. I'll have to use a stethosope anyway, though. My practical studies in a clinic will start in July. I have quite good hearing right now, I scored very high in the hearing tests and I'm doing pretty good at university now.

[Ivana Marinac]

Interesting story Maiden

 

When I was enrolled in the medical school I didn't even know for the existence of the electronic stethoscope. There was no direct cable, the engineer who has been adjusting my hearing aids since I got the first one actually had to open that (and loose guarantee) connect DAI cable to the primitive motherboard of the stethoscope. It was far away from being perfect option but that was all I got. We could just press our thumbs and - hold a breath. 

But it worked very VERY well - my teacher in a medical school couldn't believe. Me also - but giving up was not an option. 

 

As you also do not have option to actually buy in a store a stethoscope like me, I recommend you to work with customer service of the company with whatever solution you decide to go. 

 

Interesting, but I guess that we all pursue the choice of music which please us... I also liked old-fashioned and loud rock when I started with music - obviously, it was only what I could properly hear. Words were not important anyway...Also, experience of music is not same with hearing aid and implant - now it is much MUCH better. I believe this was because my modified hearing aid forced me to listen as I have sensorineural not the conductive type of hearing loss... Coding of the hearing aid is not same - all my life I was forced to extract the information from the extra amplified sound around me. 

 

I have finished my school pretty well because mostly it was a school type lectures, I started to have communication problems when I started my specialty - people who wasn't right close to me, I couldn't hear because of the special acoustic of the old building where the clinic is situated. Then, operating room where people sound even more muffled than usually... 

With my implant I hear now extremely well although I just have one - I had to pass the adjustment or the phase of neuroplastic change of my hearing which was totally strange to me...Also, there was nobody to caution me what will happen... But now... Now I am extremely pleased and happy with my choice although nobody could know what we could expect - even Med-EL didn't know: my operation was modification, surgeons across the Europe didn't know whether it is good option that internal part lies directly and actually press the meninges. The actual fear was that it can cause certain neurological status even epileptic fire but... Boundaries are here so we do not forget to press them even harder and fight for a right cause.

 

That's it.

[Mary Beth]

Great post Ivana!

[Ivana Marinac]

Tnx...

[Mary Beth]

Completely off topic- but my a phone, how do you "like" a post? There is no "like this" check mark.

[Ivana Marinac]

Completely off topic- but my a phone, how do you "like" a post? There is no "like this" check mark.

 

I have everywhere "Like this" designation, right side of the message, in the same line as the text I write. 

Let me check your topic but it was clearly visible yesterday. 

[Maiden of Karhold]

Thanks for a great post! It is a good story, I can only send you a virtual highfive

[Ivana Marinac]

Me too

 

Against all odds...

 

Anyway, whatever you choose - please let us know so we can share it further. 

At which university you study? 

[Maiden of Karhold]

Poznań University of Medical Sciences in Poznań, Poland. I'll order the stethoscope in a few days and let you all know what's up when it arrives.

[Kara of Canada]

We all look forward to hearing from you!! Please post your findings so others may find the information useful.

[Sandy]

Looking forward to hearing more from you. Ivana, that which we don't let defeat us, makes us stronger. You are definitely a role model for all of us.

[Ivana Marinac]

Poznań University of Medical Sciences in Poznań, Poland. I'll order the stethoscope in a few days and let you all know what's up when it arrives.

 

Excellent - I look forward to see your experiences. Hoping that you will have some time to share your experience here?

[Ivana Marinac]

Looking forward to hearing more from you. Ivana, that which we don't let defeat us, makes us stronger. You are definitely a role model for all of us.

 

Huh..   tnx Sandy... but actually, you all are an inspiration to me - to question each day what can we do today

 

Good old Thoreau said:“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

[Ivana Marinac]

I have found this link where a deaf med student from Vermont was introduced - her Match Day. Later in the video her stethoscope One was shown.

 

http://www.wptz.com/news/uvm-medical-student-signing-through-school-has-high-hopes-on-match-day/31930482

[Mary Beth]

Such a small, small world. That is my local TV station!

[Maiden of Karhold]

Thanks! I'll watch it now.

[Ivana Marinac]

Although... I dont really understand which kind of hearing device she wears - I have seen something behind her right ear which looks like BTE but this is not consistent with her need for signing... Little bit perplexed...

[Ivana Marinac]

Such a small, small world. That is my local TV station!

 

 

[Mary Beth]

Wearing HAs and using sign language is rather common here in the US.

[Ivana Marinac]

Wearing HAs and using sign language is rather common here in the US.

 

Mmm... This doesn`t mean that she has deafness? On the other side, hear hearing shouldn`t be so severe if she can hear with her HA only without direct transmission to the HA. 

I am puzzled.