Name : Shintya Khaerunisa / H1C019040 / Teknik Geologi

1. Medical Equipment (Stethoscop)

How To Use :

 Wearing it - The ear tips should be twisted in order to seal the ear. When done right, the
tips will point towards the nose, and outside noises should become softer.
 Holding it - The chest piece should be held in your dominant hand, between the index and
middle fingers, just above the knuckle. To prevent interfering noise, curl the thumb under
the tube to keep it still.
 Placing it - The stethoscope should ideally be placed right against the skin, or at most one
layer of clothing apart if necessary.

1. Measure blood pressure

Though this may be the most popular use of a stethoscope, it can easily be done incorrectly.
As a blood pressure cuff is inflated around the upper arm, the stethoscope is used to listen for
audible heartbeats right below the cuff, at the brachial artery.

The two numbers that make up a blood pressure reading, systolic and diastolic pressure, are
read from the dial when 1. the Korotkoff sounds are first heard and 2. when the volume of the
Korotkoff sounds drop drastically. Many are taught to read diastolic pressure when the sound
stops- this is not advised, as it leads to a diastolic pressure that is too low.

2. Identify lung sounds

When used on the chest and back, stethoscopes can check for proper breathing, and identify
any airway blockages or lung inflammation.

A complete lung checkup includes listening to six chest “paired areas” and seven back
“paired areas”. The benefit of checking paired areas, or identical spots on the left and right
side of the body, is that the lungs can be directly compared to each other. When done this
way, it becomes much easier to detect any abnormalities.

For the most accurate listening, the patient should be leaning forward during the back
examination. For both chest and back, doctors should start above the clavicle and work their
way down, one paired area at a time.

3. Identify heart sounds

 Besides checking for heart rate, stethoscopes can alert doctors to dangerous “gallops” or
“murmurs” in the heartbeat. While these can be hard to detect, listening to enough hearts over
time will make any irregular sounds more apparent. A complete heart checkup includes
listening to four main areas around the heart, which each correspond to one main heart valve.

 Left of sternum, 2nd rib down- pulmonic valve

 Right of sternum, 2nd rib down- aortic valve
 Left of sternum, 4th rib down- tricuspid valve
 In line with left nipple, 5th rib down- mitral valve

4. Identify bowel sounds

Checking for abnormal bowel sounds is quite simple, but important in cases of possible
bowel obstructions or paralytic ileus . Loud bubbling or gurgling sounds, known as
borborygmi, are generally harmless and can usually be ignored.

5. Detecting abnormal blood flow (bruits)

A bruit is a distinct, “whoosh”-type sound that is a clear indicator of vascular problems.

Bruits usually suggest that the artery in question is narrower than usual, which can be a sign
of dangerous conditions such as arteriosclerosis or aneurysms. Arteries where bruits are
usually detected:

 Carotid (neck)
 Abdominal aortic
 Renal (kidney)
 Femoral (thigh)
 Iliac (pelvis)
 Temporal (forehead)

6. Measuring the size of the liver

Though this procedure is uncommon, a stethoscope can help measure the vertical length of
the liver at the nipple line.

With the stethoscope placed beneath the right nipple, the index finger should be placed
directly in the nipple line, down at belt level. By gently scratching the skin as the finger
works its way up the nipple line, the stethoscope will yield a much duller sound than usual
while the finger is over the liver.

Marking the beginning and ending points at which said dullness is heard yields a fair
approximation of the liver length at the nipple line. A measurement of around 10 cm is
considered normal.

7. Hearing aid for physician-patient communication

In situations where patients have poor hearing, doctors can let the patient wear the
stethoscope. By talking through the chest piece, doctors can use it as a make-shift hearing aid.