title: In flight auscultation: comparison of electronic and conventional stethoscopes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The ability to auscultate during air medical transport is compromised by high ambient noise levels. The aim of this study was to assess the capabilities of a traditional and an amplified stethoscope (which is expected to reduce background and ambient noise) to assess heart and breath sounds during medical transport in a Falcon 50 plane.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, double-blind, randomized study was performed. We tested 1 model of traditional stethoscope (Littman cardiology III) and 1 model of amplified stethoscope (Littman 3100). We studied heart and lung auscultation during real medical evacuations aboard Falcon 50 (medically configured). For each, the quality of auscultation was described using a numeric rating scale (ranging from 0 to 10, with 0 corresponding to "I hear nothing" and 10 corresponding to "I hear perfectly"). Comparisons were accomplished using a t test for paired values.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 32 comparative evaluations were performed. For cardiac auscultation, the value of the rating scale was 5.8 ± 1.5 and 6.4 ± 1.9, respectively, for the traditional and amplified stethoscope (P = .018). For lung sounds, quality of auscultation was estimated at 3.3 ± 2.4 for traditional stethoscope and at 3.7 ± 2.9 for amplified stethoscope (P = .15).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Practicians in Falcon 50 are more able to hear cardiac sounds with an amplified than with a traditional stethoscope, whereas there is no significant difference concerning breath sounds auscultation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Military Hospital VAL-DE-GRACE, Paris 75005, France. jeanpierre.tourtier@free.fr
authors.forename: Jean P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Tourtier
authors.forename: Emmamuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fontaine
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Coste
authors.forename: Solange
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramsang
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schiano
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viaggi
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Libert
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Durand
authors.forename: Cyrus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chargari
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borne
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017732:Air Ambulances; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006326:Heart Auscultation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009624:Noise, Transportation; D010360:Patient Transfer; D019023:Stethoscopes