Wear and Maintenance
Stethoscope components are commonly made of plastic or rubber and may be damaged by solvents and other compounds used for cleaning, including alcohol and soap. The solvents may dissolve plasticizers that keep the components flexible. Lipids in the human skin will deteriorate and harden the tubing so it is good practice to use a cloth cover or make sure it is over the shirt collar. Stethoscopes with two-sided chestpieces are often lubricated where the chestpiece rotates around the stem, and must be re-lubricated periodically. If the lubrication is lost, the moving parts may grind against each other and destroy the fine mechanical tolerances required for the proper acoustic performance of the stethoscope. Cleaning the stethoscope will also remove lubricants, making periodic lubrication essential. Most lubricants must be kept away from rubber, vinyl, and plastic parts. For these reasons, only products that have been tested to be safe and effective for cleaning stethoscopes or lubricating similar medical instruments are normally used.
Read more about this topic: Stethoscope
Famous quotes containing the words wear and/or maintenance:
“And still we wear our uniforms, follow
The cracked cry of the bugles, comb and brush
Our pride and prejudice, doctor the sallow
Initial ardor, wish to keep it fresh.
Still we applaud the President’s voice and face.”
—Gwendolyn Brooks (b. 1917)
“My course is a firm assertion and maintenance of the rights of the colored people of the South according to the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, coupled with a readiness to recognize all Southern people, without regard to past political conduct, who will now go with me heartily and in good faith in support of these principles.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)