Medical Equipment

Before doctors can treat patients, they must find out exactly what is wrong. Learning what is wrong is called making a diagnosis. To become skilled diagnosticians, doctors need much training and experience, and they also need health equipment.

Aphysical examination of the patient may provide clues to what is wrong. One of the most important parts of the examination is done with a stethoscope. It is used to listen to the sounds of the heart valves as they open and close.

To measure blood pressure a doctor uses an instrument called a sphygmomanometre. A doctor can decide wether blood preassure is low, normal, or high.

Clinical thermometres are made in two different forms. One type is for taking the temperature by mouth or by armpit, and the other one for taking the temperature by rectum.