Stethoscope can diagnose heart defects with 95% accuracy, finds study

A simple use of a stethoscope could differentiate normal hearts from abnormal ones with accuracy of 95% and above, revealed a study conducted by Amrita Hospital, Kochi few days ahead of World Heart Day.

The study shows that when a stethoscope is applied correctly, it could avoid unnecessary use of the more expensive investigations like echocardiography and allow for substantial reductions in healthcare costs and reduce the burden on the healthcare system.

“This finding is of great significance for healthcare in low-resource settings like India,” said Dr. R. Krishna Kumar, Clinical Professor and Head, Pediatric Cardiology, Amrita Hospital, Kochi, who led the study.

The original research, published in British Medical Journal, Pediatrics Open, involved 545 children with suspected congenital heart defects.

– Statesman/ANN