While at first, the Littman price tag may scare away many, this stethoscope is definately worth the hefty purchase price.  In my five years experience as an ICU nurse, I have owned four different stethoscopes.  I wish I had just bought the Littman the first time and sticked with it!  I was able to get my Littman at a slight discount by ordering through the purchasing department at my job (hospital).  The clarity of sounds for auscultation on this model beats the ther Littman models and Ultrascopes I have used in the past.  This model has held up well to a variety of messes and cleans up easily - ask me about the time when a bag of blood exploded all over me and a patient in ICU!   This stethoscope offers a tunable diaphragm - so it can be used for both high and low frequency sounds as well as adult or pediatric patients - great for those days when I get "pulled" to ER to work!  As an ICU nurse, I know how important it is to be able to recognize subtle changes in patients' heart or lung sounds, and this stethoscope is the one I always always have confidence in to provide me with the sounds I need to hear!  Check it out - you'll be glad you did! 

mannabsn

Louisville, MS

I am a registered nurse working in the home setting. I need a reliable stethoscope for assessing cardiac and respiratory sounds in order to treat challenging symptoms. I find the Littmann Cardiology III Stethoscope effective in listening to even the most distant heart tones. It's reliable in picking up the whole gamut of adventitious breath sounds. I find the ability to easily change to a pediatric scope very handy as I occasionally see pediatric patients. The switch is easy. It's also very easy to clean all the parts of the scope that come into contact with patients to keep it clean between visits. The only downside for me is that it is somewhat heavy on my neck, and I find that my neck is tired after a long day of visits. The tubing tends to shape to your neck after lots of use, so it's necessary to alter the way you wear or carry your scope to prevent it from developing a permanent bend in the tubing. This just makes it a bit awkward to carry but in no way affects the sound quality. Most stethoscopes will do this after a while, but the tubing is thick and I noted this tendancy earlier than with other brands. I recommend this scope as a good all-around instrument for patient assessment. i would buy this one again if I ever needed a replacement.

ThinkICan

Owensboro, KY

I am a registered nurse in home healthcare and I need a stethescope that allows me to accurately assess patients with cardiac and respiratory diagnoses. This stethescope works very well for me. I can hear breath sounds and heart sounds very clearly. I like that I can convert the stethescope for use on children or adults as it comes with both a pediatric and adult diaphragm and the pediatric diaphragm can be converted into a traditional bell if you don't need to work with children. The pieces are very easy to remove and reattach as needed. The earpieces are comfortable and can be replaced when they become worn without buying a new stethescope. The stethescope is slightly heavy, but I believe that this is because it is a well made piece of equipment. All pieces can be easily cleaned with wipes or with alcohol prep pads for proper sanitation. This stethescope works well when taking blood pressures, but a stethescope of this caliber is not necessary unless you are using it for cardiac and respiratory assessments. It is a good value for the money.

Lisa28

Cincinnati, OH

The Littmann Cardiology III is a very good stethoscope however I have had some problems hearing through it.  I have used most all of the Littmann stethoscopes at one time or another and my favorite by far is the Master Classic.  Heart tones and lung sounds are heard very clear and loud with the master classic and I am a paramedic working in the back of a moving ambulance.  With the cardiology III sometimes the sounds are not as loud or clear in my opinion.  Granted this is just my opinion and everyone is different, what works well for me will not work for everyone.

patchemt

Erwin, TN