The electrocardiogram (ECG) was introduced more than 100 years ago by Willem Einthoven (for which he was awarded a Nobel Prize in Medicine) and has become the ‘gold standard’ technique for diagnosing cardiac arrhythmias, myocardial infarctions and other coronary events. To this day the initial diagnosis and treatment of acute coronary syndromes represents one of the key performance indicators for paramedics in the pre-hospital environment and so this book really hits the bullseye when it comes to improving standards.
The level of enquiry refects what is expected of a paramedic these days, although this text is not specifically aimed at the paramedic profession, with some of the content more aligned with cardiologists and specialists working in intensive care.
However, relating ECG interpretations to clinical interventions outside of their normal scope of practice is part and parcel of developing a paramedic’s generic understanding of coronary care, so they shouldn’t be put off by this. The structure and function of the heart receives detailed attention, though the anatomy and physiology is also very relevant and is included logically in the text. Combined with lucid illustrations, including angiographies and ECG tracings, the reader is presented with a comprehensive treatment of the subject area. The clinical interpretation and significance of ECG changes is an underlying theme throughout, so the reader is never far from considering the practical application of these skills.
Another nice touch from the authors can be found at the end of the book, where the reader has the opportunity to review 15 individual case studies, each with one or more 12-lead ECGs to be analysed. By cross-referencing earlier theory, this proves to be an effective self-assessment tool.
Paramedics have no shortage of books to choose from when it comes to ECG interpretation or myocardial complications, but they shouldn’t dismiss this one— with an emphasis on how ECG interpretations equate to actual clinical interventions, it stands out from the crowd. A book which this reviewer would most certainly recommend.