Ever since the development of a stethoscope by Laennec in France in 1816, it has been constantly modified by several persons who include Arthur Leared in 1851 and George Philip Cammann in 1852 to give its present look of a 2-piece instrument. A medical doctor looks incomplete without a stethoscope hanging and drooping from his shoulders.
Even patients who come with complete work up done including most relevant investigations, which include an ECG, X Ray chest, echocardiography, coronary angiography, MRI and CT scans for an opinion regarding further treatment or a second opinion would expect a full clinical examination including auscultation of the heart and chest using a stethoscope. In fact, I have had several instances when a patient referred for coronary angiography after a complete workup including a stress echocardiogram or a nuclear scan, and having taken an appointment for…
