Klappentext

This new title is ideal for clinicians working in out-of-hospital settings who need to interpret electrocardiography safely and understand when to consult a cardiologist.

The book presents a new method, ECG10+, for assessing ECGs without missing relevant pathology. The method enables readers systematically and safely to read ECGs by addressing 10 ECG findings and linking them to the clinical presentation. The book covers indications and quality of assessment, how to undertake ECGs, explanations of equipment and assessment of the various types of ECG waves. Assessing and Understanding ECGs is ideal for GPs, nurses and other healthcare workers who may need to make or interpret ECGs, as well as residents and clinicians working in hospital settings both in and outside cardiology.

• Logical and easy to follow - written in plain language for non-cardiology clinicians
• Bespoke images specially created to support understanding
• Unique and visually uniform translation from the heart function to the ECG-view enables the reader to thoroughly understand the ECG
• Full explanation of the electrophysiological function of the heart and related PQRST-waves as seen on the 12-lead ECG (‘from pump to paper’)
• Introduction and explanation of ECG10+ - a safe and systematic method to assess ECGs quickly and thoroughly
• Simple checklist to facilitate ECG interpretation in daily practice
• 61 case studies describe highly relevant clinical ECG-related problems in out-of-hospital situations, for practising theory and the ECG10+ method

• Summaries and reference chapter provide a concise overview

  Inhalt

  Section One (Textbook content)
  Part 1 ECGs in primary care / outside the hospital setting - Indications and quality of assessment
  1.1 ECGs outside the hospital setting
  1.2 Patients with cardiac symptoms
  1.2.1 Irregular heartbeat
  1.2.2 Palpitations and tachycardia
  1.2.3 Bradycardia
  1.2.4 Chest pain
  1.2.5 Suspected heart failure
  1.2.6 A patient in the emergency room
  1.2.7 ECGs in childhood
  1.3 Screening in patients without complaints
  1.3.1 Increased cardiovascular risk
  1.3.2 Screening for atrial fibrillation
  1.3.3 Screening after syncope
  1.3.4 Screening upon starting QT-elongating medication
  1.3.5 Pre-operative screening
  1.3.6 Screening in sportspeople
  1.3.7 Screening in family members of patients with sudden cardiac death
  1.4 Quality of ECG assessment by non-cardiologists
  1.5 Summary: indications of ECGs by non-cardiologists

  Part 2 Making and understanding ECGs - basic electrophysiology and electrocardiography
  2.1 Instructions for making ECGs
  2.1.1 Electrodes and leads
  2.1.2 Tips and tricks for high quality ECGs
  2.1.3 ECG interpretation software
  2.2 Explaing the ECG-waves
  2.2.1 ECG-registration of heart activity
  2.2.2 ECG-leads explained
  2.2.3 ECG-paper: settings and definitions
  2.2.4 Explaining P-, Q-, R-, S- and T-waves

  Part 3 Assessing and understanding ECGs - systematic assessment using the ECG10+ method
  3.1 Introduction ECG10+ checklist
  3.2 ECG10+ checklist: systematics and explanation
  3.2.1 ECG10+ point 1: frequency, regularity (and rhythm)
  3.2.2 ECG10+ point 2: heart axis
  3.2.3 ECG10+ point 3: P-wave
  3.2.4 ECG10+ point 4: PQ-interval
  3.2.5 ECG10+ point 5: Q-wave
  3.2.5 ECG10+ point 6: QRS-complex (R-progression, height, width)
  3.2.6 ECG10+ point 7: ST-interval
  3.2.7 ECG10+ point 8: T-wave
  3.2.8 ECG10+ point 9: QT-interval
  3.2.10 ECG10+ point 10: Rhythm
  3.2.11 ECG10+ point +: Diagnosis and plan
  3.3 Keep it simple!

  Part 4 Reference
  4.1 Summary
  4.2 Main illustrations in overview

  Section Two Case studies: 31 cases
  No complaints
  1 Hypertension
  2 Examination
  3 Safely exercising
  4 Sudden cardiac death in the family
  5 Routine ECG
  6 ‘Fun’ ECG
  Slow
  7 Woman of high age
  8 Unwell while swimming
  9 Progressive exercise intolerancy
  10 Fatigue
  Fast
  11 Palpitaions
  12 Dizziness upon bending over
  13 Dyspnea upon exercise
  14 Agoraphobia
  15 Working 80 hours a week
  16 Chest pain upon exercise
  Fast-summary
  Palpitations
  17 Missing beats
  18 Frightened
  19 Heart in the throat
  20 Brady-tachy
  Pain
  21 Blessing in disguise
  22 Sick
  23 Irradiating pain
  24 Oppressive pain
  25 112-call
  26 Coronary artery disease?
  Chronic
  27 Heart failure
  28 Unknown history
  29 Progressive complaints
  30 Shortness of breath and ankle edema
  31 A psychiatric patient