Effect comparison of cardiac auscultation between ordinary stethoscopes and antinoise electronic stethoscopes during a high-altitude flight

TU Yan; SU Xun; WANG Lei

Abstract：Objective To evaluate the different effects of ordinary stethoscopes and antinoise electronic stethoscopes on cardiac auscultation when a Y-8C transporter, a medical evacuation aircraft, is flying at high altitude. Methods Normal and abnormal heart sounds caused by aortic insufficiency were downloaded from authorized medical websites in advance and stored in a tablet PC. 39 clinicians auscultated those heart sounds using traditional ordinary stethoscopes and antinoise electronic stethoscopes by turns on the ground or during a high-altitude flight (in a Y-8C transporter). According to auscultatory results (correct auscultation, incorrect auscultation and missed auscultation) of the doctors, the effects of cardiac auscultation were evaluated before the obtained data was analyzed by Chi-square test. Results On the ground, the accuracy rates of cardiac auscultation by conventional stethoscopes and antinoise electronic stethoscopes were both 100.00%. When the Y-8C transporter was in the level flight phase, the cardiac auscultation by antinoise electronic stethoscopes was significantly more accurate than that of traditional ordinary stethoscopes. The accuracy of the former was 71.79% for normal heart sounds,and 61.54% for abnormal heart sounds, compared to 2.56% and 0 of the latter. The difference was of statistical significance(P<0.01). Conclusion The cardiac auscultation accuracy of antinoise electronic stethoscopes is significantly superior to that of traditional ordinary stethoscopes. Medical personnel can use antinoise electronic stethoscopes to assess the condition of the injured during aeromedical evacuation.