Does anyone use the Littmans STC ?

[BAYAMedic]

I just wan to say I don't want the STC to make me look better or anything like that. I just wanted one because I like the scope and don't mind paying the extra money for it. Especially something reliable. I brought a medium priced scope two years ago and it broke in half already. Still don't know how that happened. But anyway, to me chooseing a scope is a personal choice. As long as you can hear well out of it, buy what you want its your money. Scopes come in so many different designs and styles known. People don't have to stick with the basic ones. I see medics with card 3's and doctors with classic 2's. Its all about personal choice and taste.

I did hear that the master classic is a very good scope, it is on the pricey side. Just like the STC and if you read my origional post. You see that I found a STC for $160 not $210+ like everyone else is selling them for. So its a deal alsp. Plus it has a six year warranty, unlike two years like most other scopes have.

Also if I planned to stay a basic for ever I wouldn't buy a exspensive scope, but I do plan to become a medic and ccemt-p one day. So thats also another reason why I want a scope that will probably never need to be replaced. Who wants to buy a new scope every 2 or 3 years. After you buy the 3rd one you have basiclly paid as much for 3 scopes as you would have for one expensive scope that doesn't have to be replaced.

I am currently a Paramedic student with 5 years experiance as a Basic. I have owned and used several scopes since I started, both my own, my parters, and company purchased and discovered the following: The more expensive my scope, the greater tendency it had to grow legs and magically disappear. Bye bye Cardiology 3....... I will miss you. The acoustics were good, but did have some background noise issues. Borrowed an RN's Electronic scope for a shift. The lung fields were clear and My ambulance was missing on the third cylander. Called it the Craig Swapp scope (one call, that all!), At reccomendation of several ARNP's, PA's and Medics, The most recent scope I bought was a Littman Master Classic II, (Black Edition) [Call It a moment of whackerdom or call it trying to be able to spot it across the Station when it has magically grown legs.] I love this scope. I cant remember the exact cost of the scope, but the order of the scope, the 3 Initial bell engraving, a cool penlight, and a BP cuff. Came to about $140 including shipping. It has served me well, gave me great acoustics, and with my initials it is uniquely mine. I Plan on replacing it with another just like it. Just my opinion.

[Adam Swartz]

I myself have the Cardio III. I love it. Great in the field and ER. Haven't had issues with it yet. I work in a tire plant as an EMT/Guard and need to hear over the air pressure in there. Not had an issue with this. Tried a DRG scope once. Wanted to chuck it into the garbage. I have two Cardio IIIs just in case. Sending one of them into get tubing refurbed. It works like a charm. I plan on going to medical school in the future. This is the best scope that I have used.

[RomeViking09]

I had 2 cheap scopes over the years, started working for a service and had issues hearing BP in their trucks tried my partners Cardio III and no issues (same placement same patient) so I got a Cardio III and love it now. It is what works for me and I will not change. Now that said I don't care what band or model scope I own I want what works for me (happens to be a high dollar scope) but prior to EMS I was a stage lighting & sound tech and my ears suffered a bit so I more sensitive scope makes up for my bad ears (well 1 ear). Hope this helps.

[Eydawn]

Can you expand on this please?

Sure. The Littman didn't fit as well in a pocket, the earpieces came off easier which is not good when you're trying to pull it out to get your vitals (I actually thought I had lost one for good at one point until I found it under the captain's chair), and I heard a lot more running truck noises that muddled the sounds I was actually trying to hear with this scope. In a quieter setting, like a patient's house or a clinic setting (in my Boy Scout stuff, for example) I can hear breath sounds better and distinguish between them better with the Littman Cardio II.

My cheapo $10 double bell is very resilient, tucks neatly into my pocket, doesn't fall apart if it's not treated nicely, and didn't pick up nearly as much of the truck noise. I could hear BP's without added distraction with the cheapo, and while I couldn't hear breath sounds overall as well as I would have liked, I also didn't have as much interference to wade through.

For a non-field setting where noise and being brutal on it aren't concerns, I much prefer my Littman Cardio II. If I'm out in the field where I have to stuff it into a BDU pocket and play with diesel noise, the cheapo works just fine for my purposes, especially since I'm a Basic and when I was in the field, nobody gave a rat's butt what I could hear as long as I got three sets of vitals... but I digress...

Make sense? And again, I think it totally depends on the person. Some people will prefer a higher sensitivity scope in certain applications and vice versa...

Wendy

CO EMT-B