Medical question?

Question

What does your doctor do with his/her stethoscope before listening to your chest? i.e. do he/she warm up it up, explain to you what they are doing?

Answer 1

We have the greatest of family doctors who not only warms up the stethoscope, but also says, "I'm going to listen to your lungs" or "I'm going to listen to your heart." This respect and dignity issues makes our doctor one of the most caring doctors I have ever had the privilege to use.

Answer 2

He/she should be doing both as a courtesy and as a sign of respect. To many times today I see the doctors I work with walk into a patients room, brandish their stethoscope without so much as a by-your-leave and place it on a patient, do a cursory exam, and leave. No words spoken. No curtains drawn. No permission asked. Just a wham bam no thank you mamm. I was taught better than that in respiratory school. I ask permission to touch. I warm my equipment and when not able to do so apologize for it coldness. I explain each and every procedure before I do it and make sure that the patient fully understands before proceeding. If you are not getting this type of service ask for it. You will be surprised. Many professionals forget that without the people we serve we don't have a job. We need to remember that. Thank you for question, I'll get of my soap box now.

Answer 3

I love my Dr and my kids pediatrician. The first thing that both Dr's do is to take an alchohol swab and clean it. Then they rub the head of the stethoscope on their pant leg to warm it and then tell's me or my kids what they are going to do next with it....both Dr's are very informative and very much have bedside manners. It does not make since to me to clean the stethoscope before rubbing it on the pant legs, but it does not bother me.....

Answer 4

Mine usually does. I have seen a lot of doctors, and that is common practice for most of them.