This pocket-sized package certainly packs a mighty punch. Relating to one of the primary areas of paramedic practice, paramedics would do well to devote some time to reading this one. Such an important subject area deserves comprehensive and precise consideration and as you would expect given the expertise of the authors, this little beauty has it all.
The basics are all covered, from initial assessment and stressing the importance of first line clinical care, to the more advanced interventions such as thrombolytic therapy and cardiac arrests.
Detailed algorhythms are clearly illustrated without over-complicating a particular pathway and clinicians responsible for adhering to them should find little difficulty here.
The title of the book is a little mis-leading, as the content covers a broad spectrum of cardiac-related conditions and not restricted to heart attacks. Whilst a number of arrhythmias are illustrated, the reader should not expect to find a complete compilation of heart rhythms as this is not the book's remit—other texts offer this without the underpinning theory contained in this book.
‘Paramedics would do well to devote some time to reading this one’
As the book was first published in 2007, it does not make mention of more recent clinical studies in this field, such as the STREAM project (2008), but the discussion surrounding pharmacological (thrombolysis) and mechanical (PCI) interventions is well-documented and as valid today as when the book was initially written.
The principles contained within the text are consistent with the most recent clinical studies and really do break down the emergency care of cardiac patients into easily digestible stages.
But my customary caution, though, is the need for paramedics to adhere to local treatment protocols for the prehospital care of cardiac patients.
Definitely one I would recommend—if only for the challenge of squeezing this into the pocket of a paramedic's jump suit!