How to Wear a Stethoscope

A stethoscope is a vital tool for any healthcare professional, but it's not always easy to know how to properly wear one. Wearing a stethoscope improperly can lead to discomfort and a decrease in sound quality, making it difficult to make accurate diagnoses. In this blog post, we will guide you through the proper way to wear a stethoscope. From adjusting the ear tubes to the correct length of the tubing, we'll cover everything you need to know to ensure comfort and effectiveness while using your stethoscope. Whether you are new to the field or simply need a refresher, this guide will help you to become more confident and comfortable when using a stethoscope.

Step 1: Start with a Clean Stethoscope

The first step in properly wearing a stethoscope is to ensure that it is clean and disinfected. It's important to clean your stethoscope after each use to ensure that it is free from germs and other contaminants. A dirty or contaminated stethoscope can spread infection, which is especially dangerous in a healthcare setting. Routine cleaning of the stethoscope helps to maintain optimal acoustic performance, prolongs its lifespan, and keeps it looking like new. 

Most stethoscope companies recommend using cleansers with 70% isopropyl alcohol solution and avoiding bleach. When I am seeing patients, I keep alcohol pads in the pocket of my white coat and wipe my stethoscope down between every use. It's important to note that different stethoscopes have different cleaning instructions, so be sure to check the manufacturer's instructions for your specific stethoscope. 

Step 2: Put on your Stethoscope and Examine your Patient

To begin, hold the ear tubes of the stethoscope in front of your face with the ear tips angled away from you. Next, place the ear tips of the stethoscope securely in your ears and ensure that the tubing is not twisted. Ear tube tension and properly fitting ear tips can be the most difficult parts of adjusting to daily stethoscope use. If you are struggling with the ear tips fitting properly, consider trying the various ear tip sizes that come with your equipment. The ear tip should fit snugly in the outer part of your ear canal. If you feel like the tip is too small and not forming a seal, you may benefit from trying a larger diameter eartip. If it feels like the ear tip is only resting on the outside of your ear canal without a proper seal, you may benefit from trying a smaller diameter tip. If you are having an issue with pain, consider decreasing the tension. The headset or ear tube tension refers to how tightly the stethoscope fits. Tension can be increased or decreased by squeezing the ear tubes together to increase headset tension and by pulling apart to decrease tension. Once your stethoscope is fitting comfortably, you are ready to perform a physical exam. For more information on optimizing sound quality, see my post on How To Use a Stethoscope.

Step 3: Clean and Store for Next Use

As we mentioned in Step 1, clean equipment is essential to best practice. Get in the habit of keeping something like alcohol swabs in your white coat pocket or keeping alcohol sanitation wipes by your desk. After your equipment is cleaned, store it somewhere dry, safe, and easily accessible. When rounding in the hospital, I like to keep my stethoscope in my white coat pocket or over my shoulders. When you are done for the day, it's nice to keep your stethoscope in a protective case. Often I see people hanging their stethoscopes on their rear view mirrors in their cars, however this is not advisable as direct sunlight could impair the integrity of the tubing.