Modern Technology in Respiratory Medicine: Lung Ultrasonography–Is it Time for the Stethoscope to Give Up its Throne?

Modern Technology in Respiratory Medicine: Lung Ultrasonography–Is it Time for the Stethoscope to Give Up its Throne?

The year 2016 marks the 200th anniversary of the invention of the stethoscope by Dr. Réne Théophile Hyacinthe Laennec. He was first inspired in September 1816 when he observed 2 children playing with a
long piece of solid wood and a pin.

He later made the very first stethoscope when he rolled a paper to listen to the heart sounds of a young woman. He
further refined the instrument by constructing it with a hollow tube of wood. Three years
later, in 1819, he published a textbook, which has been the foundation of respiratory medicine.

In his textbook titled “De l’Auscultation Médiate ou Traité du Diagnostic des Maladies des Poumonset du Coeur”, he introduced the terms that we still use in respiratory medicine, such as “rale”, “rhonchi,” or “egophony”.

Laennec founded the basis of modern respiratory medicine with the invention of this remarkable tool. The stethoscope remains an indispensable tool for physicians, and not a single day passes without it being used to examine a patient.

However, in the last decade, notable controversies have emerged regarding the utilization of the stethoscope. It is interesting to learn how this new technology was perceived when Laennec first introduced the stethoscope.

While this diagnostic tool was generally well received, as reported by the New England Journal of Medicine in 1821, Simmons described in his book that some physicians rejected this instrument in the 20th century and preferred to apply their ears to their patients.

Pulm Res Respir Med Open J. 2016; 4(1): 19-20. doi: 10.17140/PRRMOJ-4-133