Product Description

This highly respected book is a simple, readable guide to the accurate identification and interpretation of normal and abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG) patterns for medical students, nurses and junior doctors. The emphasis throughout is on the straightforward practical application of the ECG. It will prove useful to all medical and health care staff who require clear, basic knowledge about the ECG.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #54574 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 312 pages

Nursing Standard
"The ECG Made Easy has for some time been the pocket reference for junior doctors... invaluable in a clinical setting."

Synopsis
This highly respected book is a simple, readable guide to the accurate identification and interpretation of normal and abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG) patterns for medical students, nurses and junior doctors. The emphasis throughout is on the straightforward practical application of the ECG. It will prove useful to all medical and health care staff who require clear, basic knowledge about the ECG.

Customer Reviews

The basics, that's it
I used this book as a student and it helped me familiarise myself with basic ECG interpretation to a level acceptable for a student, but to move forward takes experience on the wards seeing real ECGs of real patients. A good starting point but by no means comprehensive. I understood the cardiac axis better before I read this book, but maybe that's just me.

Very disappointing
I'm afraid I gave up on this book after just chapter 1. I can't believe that a book that markets itself as an "idiot's guide" and that has been through 6 editions remains so confusingly written.

For example, the explanation of 'leads' is muddled at best, and the terms 'VL', 'VF' and 'VR' are seemingly plucked out of the air on page 8 with no meaningful explanation.

I do believe that ECG interpretation can be made (relatively) easily understandable, but I doubt this will be the book to do it for most people.

Not brilliant but useful intro to ECGs
Interpreting ECGs is difficult, at least at the start, for most medical students. This book doesn't quite make ECGs easy but it does help to provide a reasonable introduction into how to begin understanding what the little lines and squiggles mean.

It starts off with basic info on the rate, rhythm and axis of ECGs then has a chapter on each of the main arrhythmias you'll come across. Some of the very basics in chapter one are not described very well (in particular, the cardiac axis paragraphs), occasionally lacking clarity and depth but they do use plenty of pictures to demonstrate what they are explaining to you and after a couple of reads you will begin to see what they are getting at.

Others have commented that the book could do with some more clinical details but I disagree - you should have a medical text book containing a section on cardiology already. I see it as a bonus that this pocket-sized book limits itself to the difficult enough topic of interpreting ECGs.

Lastly, there are 10 practice ECGs at the end for you to test yourseslf on, with answers explained fully.

Overall, I found it to be a useful book that can give you a reasonable introduction as to how to start reading, interpreting and presenting ECGs to your colleagues. It was great for last minute cramming before OSCE-type exams (at GKT anyway!), and should be good for anyone who doesn't have a kindly cardiologist who wants to teach you how to read them him/herself!