The Only EKG Book You'll Ever Need

by Malcolm S. Thaler

Overview

Selected as a Doody's Core Title for 2022and 2023!


For more than 30 years, health care providers have turned to The Only EKG Book You’ll Ever Need for Dr. Malcolm S. Thaler’s clear and concise guidance on EKG use in everyday practice. Ideal for readers at all levels of experience, the tenth edition of this straightforward, highly visual resource presents must-know information on using an EKG to diagnose cardiac and non-cardiac conditions, with numerous EKG strips, clear illustrations, clinical examples, and case studies throughout. From cover to cover, Dr. Thaler’s commitment to “keeping simple things simple and making complicated things easy to understand” helps you learn and understand how to best use an EKG in actual clinical settings.

• Provides more than 200 EKG strips, including many new to this edition

• Includes updated clinical scenarios and case studies, step-by-step instructions, newly clarified concepts, and high-quality illustrations throughout

• Uses a lighthearted, lively writing style designed to be compelling and minimize confusion of principles discussed

• Outlines processes for identifying and interpreting arrhythmias, myocardial infarctions, hypertrophy, atrial fibrillation, and other disorders

• Advises on the dangers of over-reliance on computer interpretations and includes many other practical considerations that other books leave out
   

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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781975185831
Publisher:	LWW
Publication date:	09/09/2022
Edition description:	Tenth, North American Edition
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	150,610
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 7.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Thaler, Malcolm S., MD (Bryn Mawr Hospital)

Table of Contents

Getting Started 1

Chapter 1 The Basics 9

Electricity and the Heart 10

The Cells of the Heart 13

Time and Voltage 19

P Waves, QRS Complexes, T Waves, and Some Straight Lines 21

Naming the Straight Lines 30

Summary: The Waves and Straight Lines of the EKG 32

Making Waves 34

The 12 Views of the Heart 39

A Word About Vectors 49

The Normal 12-Lead EKG 51

Summary: Orientation of the Waves of the Normal EKG 62

Some Really Important 5tuff That You May Be Wondering: Part 1: Why Not Just Let the Computer Do It? 64

Some Really Important Stuff That You May Be Wondering: Part 2: How Do I Get the Goop Off My Patient's Chest Once the EKG Is Finished? 66

Coming Attractions 67

Chapter 2 Hypertrophy and Enlargement of the Heart 69

A Few Introductory Remarks 70

Definitions 71

Axis 74

Summary: Axis 83

Axis Deviation, Hypertrophy, and Enlargement 86

Atrial Enlargement 89

Summary: Atrial Enlargement 92

Ventricular Hypertrophy 93

Secondary Repolarization Abnormalities of Ventricular Hypertrophy 99

Summary: Ventricular Hypertrophy 102

CASE 1 103

CASE 2 104

Chapter 3 Arrhythmias 107

The Clinical Manifestations of Arrhythmias 109

Why Arrhythmias Happen 110

Rhythm Strips 111

How to Determine the Heart Rate From the EKG 115

The Five Basic Types of Arrhythmias 119

Arrhythmias of Sinus Origin 120

Summary: Arrhythmias of Sinus Origin 127

Ectopic Rhythms 129

Reentrant Rhythms 130

The Four Questions 132

Supraventricular Arrhythmias 135

Summary: Supraventricular Arrhythmias 157

Ventricular Arrhythmias 158

Summary: Ventricular Arrhythmias 166

Supraventricular vs Ventricular Arrhythmias 167

Summary: Ventricular Tachycardia vs Supraventricular Tachycardia With Aberrancy 174

Electrophysiotogy Studies (EPS) 175

Implantable Defibrillators 177

External Defibrillators 178

CASE 3 180

CASE 4 183

CASE 5 185

Chapter 4 Conduction Blocks 189

What Is a Conduction Block? 190

AV Blocks 192

Summary: AV Blocks 202

Bundle-Branch Block 204

Summary: Bundle-Branch Block 210

Hemiblocks 211

Combining Right Bundle-Branch Block and Hemiblocks 216

Blocks That Underachieve 219

The Ultimate in Playing With Blocks: Combining AV Blocks, Right Bundle-Branch Block, and Hemiblocks 220

Pacemakers 222

CASE 6 227

CASE 7 229

CASE 8 230

Chapter 5 Preexcitation Syndromes 233

What Is Preexcitation? 234

Wolff-Parkinson-White 235

A Short PR Interval Without a Delta Wave 237

Why Do We Care About Preexcitation? 238

Summary: Preexcitation 244

CASE 9 245

Chapter 6 Myocardial Ischemia and Infarction 247

Stable Angina and Acute Coronary Syndromes 248

How to Diagnose a Myocardial Infarction 251

ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarctions 254

Summary: The EKG Changes of an Evolving STEMI 266

Localizing the Infarct 267

Non-ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarctions 280

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy 281

Angina Without Infarction 283

Sorting Out the Different Ischemic Syndromes 285

Limitations of the EKG in Diagnosing an Infarction 287

Stress Testing 288

CASE 10 294

CASE 11 299

Chapter 7 Finishing Touches 301

Electrolyte Disturbances 303

Hypothermia 308

Drugs 310

More on the QT Interval 315

Other Cardiac Disorders 317

Pulmonary Disorders 323

Central Nervous System Disease 325

Sleep Disorders 326

Sudden Cardiac Death 328

The Athlete's Heart 331

Preparticipation Screening for Athletes 332

The Preoperative Evaluation 334

Summary: Miscellaneous Conditions 335

CASE 12 338

CASE 13 341

Chapter 8 Putting It All Together 343

The 9-Step Method for Reading EKGs 346

Chapter 9 How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall? 369

Index 393

Editorial Reviews

3 Stars from Doody

This is a basic EKG text for medical students and nurses on how to interpret electrocardiograms. The purpose is to teach EKG reading to the novice utilizing a clear, logical, and easy to follow format. The author states he intends to make simple things simpler and complicated things concise and simple and quite simply he accomplishes this best. This book is appropriate for medical students and cardiac care nurses. A summary concludes each chapter. A number of case studies are reviewed and are easy to follow and to understand. A unique aspect of this book is the clear and logical presentation of the author written in a fresh, enjoyable, and often humorous manner. This style makes learning EKGs interesting and enjoyable and not boring as is the problem with some texts. The only negative comment I have about this book is there is no glossary, which is necessary in a basic medical text. This is an excellent basic EKG book and one of the best I have ever read. It is enjoyable to read because of the fresh, humorous style of the author. The author is logical in his approach and presents basic, simple concepts initially while adding more complex criteria as the text progresses. Summaries conclude each chapter and a number of case studies are presented in addition to a chapter of review charts which, with repetition, reinforce diagnosis EKG criteria. Still, I am impressed with how thorough this book is in many areas and likewise am impressed with its accuracy, which makes it superior to most basic EKG books available today. I applaud the author for his work! I enjoyed this book and will recommend it to my medical students.

Ronald R. Schreiber

Reviewer: Nicholas N Hanna, MD (Ochsner Clinic Foundation)
Description: This is the seventh edition of a handbook that summarizes the interpretation of electrocardiograms. The author, Dr. Malcolm Thaler, has authored and edited several best-selling medical books and online resources.
Purpose: The purpose is to review EKG interpretation, with a particular focus on integrating interpretation in a clinical context.
Audience: This book does not assume any formal training in cardiology, and is suitable for students, allied health personnel, physicians in training, internists, and cardiologists.
Features: The chapters are organized by distinct cardiovascular disease processes, including chamber size, arrhythmias, conduction disturbances, and myocardial infarction. Each chapter uses frequent summaries to highlight important concepts, including step-wise approaches to ensure accurate EKG interpretation. The final chapters present unique disease-specific findings, as well as new example cases. This edition includes updated full-color models, illustrations, and tracings to enhance readers' understanding. Included with this handbook is a searchable online companion site and interactive question bank.
Assessment: This is a popular and practical handbook for those who wish a thorough understanding of EKG interpretation, especially for everyday clinical practice. It effectively summarizes basic concepts and helps to incorporate those concepts into accurate EKG interpretation. The main strength of this book is the author's ability to simplify complex concepts and the use of high-quality illustrations to teach readers how to systematically translate the EKG interpretation to aid in clinical decision making.

Doody's Review Service