STETHOSCOPE Meaning and
Definition
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A stethoscope is a medical instrument commonly used by healthcare professionals to listen to sounds within the body. It consists of a long, flexible tube that connects to a pair of earpieces. At one end of the tube, there is a chest piece or diaphragm, which is placed against the patient's skin to detect various bodily sounds. The diaphragm is designed to vibrate when sound waves pass through it, amplifying these internal sounds and transmitting them through the tube to the practitioner's ears.
Typically, a stethoscope is used to listen to the sounds produced by the heart, lungs, and blood vessels during a physical examination. By listening carefully to these internal sounds, healthcare professionals can gain valuable insights into a patient's health condition and potentially detect any abnormalities such as abnormal heart rhythms or lung infections.
Stethoscopes come in various types, including acoustic stethoscopes, which rely solely on sound conduction through the tubing, and electronic stethoscopes, which incorporate amplification and filtering features to enhance sound quality. Regardless of the type, stethoscopes are essential tools for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers as they aid in diagnosing and monitoring patients, ensuring accurate and efficient healthcare delivery.
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An instrument originally devised by Laennec for aid in hearing the respiratory and cardiac sounds in the chest; now modified in various ways and employed in mediate auscultation of any of the vascular or other sounds in the body anywhere.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
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A tube of light wood or gutta-percha, with one end funnel-shaped, used by medical men for listening to the sounds produced in the chest or other cavities of the body.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
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Other Common Misspellings for STETHOSCOPE
Etymology of STETHOSCOPE
The word "stethoscope" comes from the Greek roots "stethos" meaning "chest" and "skopein" meaning "to examine" or "to observe". The term was coined by René-Théophile-Hyacinthe Laënnec, a French physician, in 1819 when he invented the device for auscultation or listening to sounds produced by the body. In its original form, the stethoscope was a hollow wooden tube, which Laënnec used to hear the sounds of the heart and lungs. The term "stethoscope" has since been used to refer to various medical devices designed for listening to internal sounds of the body.
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