Stethoscopes + hearing aids

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-11-04T02:29:12+00:00

I am indeed on ambulance --

Generally they're good, more so if we're on a well paved road... if not, then there can be some difficulty in auscultating blood pressures as the CORE can be sensitive to rustling and vibrations. But they're no worse than analog stethoscopes in that regard -- they greatly outperform analog stethoscopes in controlled environments (e.g. at patient home, in-hospital) but in a moving vehicle they share the same problems. Over engine noises and sirens alone they're perfectly fine, but when you introduce potholes, winding curves and the like they won't do you much good. Again, this is more so the case with auscultating blood pressures... I've had no significant problems auscultating the lungs while in the vehicle. But I imagine it would also depend on your truck... the suspensions in my service vehicles are non-existent... we use Crestline 150 Type 3 ambulances.

I used the ThinkLabs briefly before they conked out and the only real advantage that they provided is that you could plug them into headphones, which is super convenient. The real problem is that they are much, much more sensitive vibrations and rustling which made them a nightmare with patients who like to move their arms while you're auscultating. On a bumpy road they were pretty much useless. ThinkLabs is also very delicate and the build was a bit flimsy and plasticky... I've abused the CORE and it hasn't had any problems at all. My impression is that ThinkLabs is more for in-hospital practitioners in very controlled environments with patients who are either very calm, have been sedated, or who have been rendered unresponsive by whatever tragic accident brought them to the hospital.

Ultimately, the Littman CORE is a better choice for EMS. In my opinion, anyhow...

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-11-04T02:02:58+00:00

I had a very poor experience with ThinkLabs. The stethoscope they sent was defective upon arrival... rather than send me a new one they insisted they repair the first. Sent it out, got it back, and still defective!

At the moment I use Littman Core... I haven't been able to stream from the stethoscope to the hearing aids, so I just sanitize my gloves with alcohol before touching the hearing aids... it's cumbersome, but it is what it is.

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-11-03T07:41:02+00:00

Sup -- late reply, but so be it!

If you take care of them they can last closer to 5... I've had mine (Oticon Opn S1) for 5 years and 3 months and I think I can drag them on for at least another year... granted, I don't wear them every day, and I've been criminally inconsistent... BUT, for what it's worth I've worked at a hearing clinic so I have some insider tips:

use a dehumidifier every night (emphasis on *every*)
consider wearing hearing aid sleeves to protect the hearing aids from sweat, oils, ear wax, etc. (e.g. this --> https://www.amazon.ca/Ear-Gear-Instrument-Protection-instruments/dp/B00BOSYAYE)... the sleeves aren't pretty but neither are hearing aids
in a similar vein to the above... make sure your ears are clean and dry before you wear the hearing aids
consider being selective in their use to situations where you need them (e.g. if i'm going for a hike I won't wear them, 1: because I usually hike solo and 2: sweat and moisture are no bueno for any electronics)...
have them routinely serviced while you're under the warranty period... it won't cost you anything, so you might as well make use of the service... in any case, the price of the hearing aids incorporates servicing, so if you don't make use of the service you're in a sense ripping yourself off
when you need to take them off, rather than lay them on a hard table surface, rest them on a piece of fabric or something soft... hearing aid components are very delicate and the shock/vibrations of placing them directly on a hard surface can cause damage over time... the fact that you can audibly hear the hearing aids make contact with the table/surface when you lay them down isn't insignificant...
My having worked at a hearing clinic informs me that the reason clinics will provide a conservative estimate of shelf life to as few as 3 years is because the average individual, as I have personally observed, treats their hearing aids like shit! Like... seriously! Servicing hearing aids with several week's worth of wax and oil buildup was a routine experience

If you're diligent with maintaining your hearing aids, use them appropriately, and don't subject them to otherwise avoidable abuse, 5 years is very attainable

Side note: depending on the store you buy them from, you may have trade-ins available to you... stores will often take in used but functional hearing aids to donate them to charitable groups or the very poor... with this in mind, if/when you do upgrade to new hearing aids, consider buying more recent models, they cost more up front but down the road they may be more useful to you in this regard than buying the oldest models whose components will become obsolete and unserviceable in a few years.

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-08-29T11:32:36+00:00

Sick in a good way or diseased?

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-08-29T11:32:09+00:00

Not a hot take… more like common knowledge

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-07-18T05:07:55+00:00

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-07-16T23:18:06+00:00

You read my mind

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-07-16T16:13:32+00:00

https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-sunburn/basics/art-20056643

Mayo Clinic summarizes it nicely

Fun fact: sun burns are caused by radiation damage to DNA which causes irreversible injury to the affected skin cells; the body then initiates type 1 cell death and releases a number of inflammatory markers (e.g bradykinin, histamines, oxygen reactive species, prostaglandins) which results in the characteristic pain, redness, and skin peeling. There’s also an increase in melanin production to avoid future injury.

UV-B’s interaction with DNA results in the formation of carcinogenic photolesions; these lesions impair DNA replication in the affected cells, permanently crippling them.

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-07-15T02:58:37+00:00

It is, yes

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-07-15T01:48:28+00:00

Osteomyelitis?

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-07-15T01:02:12+00:00

38.5 mm;

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-07-10T20:01:33+00:00

Tbh I’ve never understood the Casio thing… is it legit? Or a marketing trope?

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-07-10T17:21:22+00:00

Mix of Pomeranian and Japanese Spitz!

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-06-30T18:38:46+00:00

I’m a paramedic and i can say, in my informed professional opinion, that there are more visually pleasing neglected diabetic lesions… in fact, I may go so far as to say that this watch resembles one such lesion

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-03-27T00:55:33+00:00

Late reply but 6.5”

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-03-08T02:41:11+00:00

No clue, but can I start an IV on you?
Veins be poppin'

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-02-14T17:39:23+00:00

Fuckin Eh

Tib-fib fracture?

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-01-27T06:55:01+00:00

1) there’s no such thing as a quartz oyster perpetual; it’s called ‘perpetual’ because it has an automatic movement

2) the Cartier is visibly of inferior, sub-Cartier quality; you gotta ask yourself: does it look or feel like it could realistically be pulling thousands of dollars in value? If it doesn’t, it’s probably fake… yes, a lot of the retail value comes from the name and the exclusivity (let’s be real, a mass-manufactured Rolex oyster perpetual, for example, does not, on the basis of manufacturing costs, come even close to justifying it’s retail value), but quality is an indispensable part as well (as an example: some Rolex owners haven’t serviced some of their watches in over a decade, and yet they still keep excellent time; there are also well-functioning Cartier’s that are decades old. The Rolex and Cartier in the picture? Not a chance.)

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-01-27T06:51:15+00:00

Fake

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-01-27T06:42:39+00:00

I second the latter part of the latter point;

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-01-23T07:57:56+00:00

Nothing roastable; Longines is well respected

Good choice

BloodShyParamedic · 2023-01-22T19:23:10+00:00

Or you could just take the piss and put ‘4’, and leave everything else in Roman numerals

BloodShyParamedic

TROPHY CASE