Main description:

Highly Commended, BMA Medical Book Awards 2015

Interpreting an ECG correctly and working out what to do next can seem like a daunting task to the non-specialist, yet it is a skill that will be invaluable to any doctor, nurse, or paramedic when evaluating the condition of a patient.

Making Sense of the ECG has been written specifically with this in mind, and will help the student and more experienced healthcare practitioner to identify and answer crucial questions, including:

Are these abnormalities significant?
How to I distinguish between VT and SVT?
Has the patient had a myocardial infarction?
How do I measure the QT interval?
Should I refer this patient to a cardiologist?

This practical, easy-to-read and easy-to-remember guide to the ECG as a tool for diagnosis and management has been fully updated in its fourth edition to reflect the latest guidelines.

Contents:

Where to Find the ECGs. Where to Find the Medical Conditions. PQRST: Where the Waves Come From. Heart rate. Rhythm. The Axis. The P Wave. The PR Interval. The Q Wave. The QRS Complex. The ST Segment. The T Wave. The Qt Interval. The U Wave. Artefacts on the ECG. Pacemakers and Implantable. Cardioverter Defibrillators. Ambulatory ECG Recording. Exercise ECG Testing. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. Index.