Littman Cardiology III Stethoscope: an upgraded auscultation option
The Littman Cardiology III offers the high quality acoustics and construction that Littman is known for.
I have owned the Littman Cardiology III since my senior year of nursing school and therefore have 4+ years of experience with this model. Even though Littman has since released the updated Cardiology IV (nominated for Best Upgraded Stethoscope in my Nursing Student Buyer’s Guide), I still wanted to document my experience with it in case anyone out there is still considering it.
First Impression
I received the Littman Cardiology III as a nursing school graduation gift and fell in love immediately. I previously used a much cheaper, generic brand stethoscope in school and was ready to upgrade before I went out into the “real world”. My model, the red/maroon color option, sticks out from the crowd and makes it easily recognizable as “mine”. When I first picked it up, it did feel significantly heavier than my previous stethoscope, but this was to be expected when moving from a mostly plastic piece of equipment, to one made of superior metal components.
Acoustics
I am not a cardiologist and will therefore keep this section very simple. Auscultating with the Cardiology III is significantly easier than any other stethoscope I have used. Breath, heart, and bowel sounds come through loud and clear, and I can identify murmurs with relative ease. Whenever I have a nursing student on the floor, I try to let them use the Cardiology III to listen to the patient’s who have murmurs or abnormal breath sounds, and they are usually surprised that they can hear so clearly.
Durability
Like I said, I’ve had this stethoscope for 4+ years and as you can see from the pictures in this post, it has held up nearly perfectly. The plastic tubing is still the same red/maroon as the day I got it, the bell/diaphragm is intact and free of cracks, and the earpieces are in great condition. All Littman’s are made with quality pieces so I am not surprised at all that mine still looks pretty much new after so much use. I don’t take any special precautions with it, and always carry it in my backpack stuffed with books and papers. I feel safe in saying that I’ve never seen a Littman that looked super beat up and I think that says a lot about their products.
Cardiology III Vs. IV
As I said above, the Cardiology III is not the newest model available from Littman and actually isn’t sold in a lot of places anymore. From what I’ve researched, the changes to the Cardiology have only made this an even better stethoscope. When I decide to upgrade, I will be sticking with the Cardiology series and getting a Cardiology IV simply because I know how much I love my III and how long it has lasted me. I even included on my Nursing Student Buyer’s Guide as the best upgraded option for new nurses.
Conclusion
Whether you received a Cardiology III as a gift, or are considering a Cardiology IV, I think you will be in great shape for nursing school and beyond if you stick with these top-of-the-line Littman stethoscopes. Do you have any experience with the Cardiology series? Let us know in the comments below!
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