title: [Stethoscopes].
abstract: Traditionally, a phonendoscope has been an instrument by which health professionals have been identified since it has been an absolutely necessary tool through which health professionals carried out a mediate auscultation and could isolate the sounds produced by the different organs of the body. This health technology, tools and instruments article analyzes the origins, usefulness, component parts, and special characteristics of the various types of phonendoscopes available in the market while at the same time states the proper way to use a phonendoscope by explaining how to manipulate it and the basic rules for keeping it clean and caring for it.
authors.affiliation: Hospital General Universitario Vall d'Hebron.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García Rey
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romero Guardeño
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Nadal Nadal
mesh_terms: D004581:Electronics; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D008283:Maintenance; D019023:Stethoscopes / Q000145:classification / Q000600:supply & distribution / Q000639:trends