Customer Reviews

3M Littmann Stethoscope Cardiology III, 27" Burgundy

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've had mine for about 3-4 years. You can pick up murmurs and crackles very easily with this model. Recently, I tried using my former stethoscope on patients (Sprague Rappaport), and WHOA!! I could barely hear anything!! (I had gotten spoiled by my Cards-III for the last few years without even knowing it!) Years ago, I was wondering how my classmates and residents (all of whom seemed to have the Cards-III) could hear murmurs and stuff, and I couldn't! As a resident now, I'm glad I own one. One day, I forgot my own Cards-III, and had to borrow a colleague's stethoscope (it was a Classic II SE). Even though her Classic II SE was also a Littman, I still couldn't hear as clearly through that, as I did the Cards-III.

On the downside, it is rather pricey. But I equate it to buying a good pair of glasses. In exchange for your money, you'll be able to hear a lot more.

I loved the versatility of being able to switch from adult to pediatric just by rotating the stem of the chest piece. The quality of auscultation is good. The only problem is that the tubing got stiff after a couple of years and cracked after 7 years. Apparently a vinyl protector is a must with these stethoscopes.

Littmann stethoscopes are known for their quality, durability...and price. I received a Cardiology II as a gift upon entering Medical school and absolutely loved it. Well, it finally broke and I decided to purchase the Cardiology III as a replacement. While the sound quality was not awful (though not as good as my Cardiology II), the tunable feature was annoying as I was used to my traditional bell. Tunable stethoscopes feature the diaphragm and bell on one chestpiece instead of two, and the pressure applied must be adjusted for high and low frequency sounds. Yet, this design does not work well on curved surfaces.

I do not know why Littmann is moving away from traditional stethoscopes, but I wish they had not discontinued some of their older models. Instead, I have been using a GRx CD-27 for the past few months and could not be happier with it. It offers superior ausculatation, durability and at about one-fourth the price. I have recommended it to all my colleagues and especially my students. It offers better performance to the Cardiology III without the guesswork that comes with tunable stethoscopes.

I have had this stethoscope for several years and it has done well for me. Only problem is that the diaphragm for the small scope cracked and they do not sell replacement for this. You can replace the large but not small diaphragm.

I am a practicing Pediatrician. I've used this scope for all of my training and now in practice. Every time I borrow someone else's, I'm amazed at how much better this one is.

I had to replace the diaphragms one time in 7 years. That was a cheap way to make things seem like new. It's good for adults, kids, and babies. It's too big for the very smallest of premies, but they usually have their own scopes at the bedside.

The Cardiology III has been a solid workhorse for me for two and a half years of ER nursing. I bought a second to replace my Cards III that someone "borrowed." The dual head lets me switch it up for pediatrics and adults, and lets me auscultate pulmonary apices in the emaciated or slightly built adult, where the apices are hidden in the "divots" between the clavicle and the trapezius. In general, the sound quality is far superior to the Littmann Classic; there is no comparison in this regard.

My one complaint might be that stethoscopes, perhaps in general, don't handle high strength cleansing wipes well. I've noted that the tuning rim of the diaphragms is breaking down on my first Cards III, which I assume is due to using cleansers like Metriguard and CaviWipes, which I need after patients with isolation precautions. The outer rubber bell sleeve is fine, however, so the stethoscope isn't falling apart, or anything. The alternative, a little alcohol swab, just doesn't cut it for cleaning up.

I've had my green one since med school, all through residency (I've admitted God knows how many patients with it in the ER at 3 AM), and am still using it at my current job in private practice. It's definitely not cheap, but you can hear a lot of murmurs, rubs, gallops and clicks that you can't hear with other brands (or even the less expensive Littmans, like the Classic IIe). You are also able to hear wheezing and rales better with this model than with others. If you take good care of it (i.e. don't leave it in your car on a hot summer day) it will take care of you! Durability is excellent. I've used mine on hundreds of patients already, and I can still hear every murmur as clearly as the day I took it out of the box 6 years ago! When you see a bunch of med students and residents walking all over the hospital with the Cards-III around their neck, it's not just a fad! They can hear the difference, too!

I've used this model through med school, residency, and 3 years of practice. I've used others from time to time, but I've never purchased another model. I was told early on that this is the one to get, and it's still the model that my cardiologist friends use today.

Pros: It's simply the stethoscope to beat. Top of the line unless you want to go electronic, and you will be mocked if you go electronic.

Cons: It is a little pricey and you probably don't need it if you are just checking blood pressures. The tubing is prone to cracking if you wear it around your neck a lot. According to Littmann's site, it's a non-latex polymer that tends to react with the oils in human skin. The tubing gets stiff and then cracks when you extend it straight to use it. The one I'm replacing has about 6 cracks (over about 3-4 years), one of which got bad enough to decrease the sound. Littmann recommends that you use something like armorall once a month. It won't stop the problem, but should slow it down. (I can't really blame Littman for this, most stethoscopes get this eventually.)

this is the same as the regular cardio III but in the all black "stealth" version. it looks really cool. make sure you put your name on it since someone else will probably think it's really cool also.

i like the reversible chest piece. i'll flip it over for peds, very slender patients or to listen to the carotids or even skull or eye bruits!! haha

this steth has great acoustics. last week i was able to appreciate a grade 1/6 murmur. that speaks volumes for this scope since i am by no means an experienced clinician at this point.

highly recommended

Up until recently, I have been using a Littman Classic stethoscope. Then I tried the Cardiology III, I am never going back!