Clinical ECGs in paramedic practice

If you are looking for a book on the electrocardiogram (ECG), you are spoilt for choice—there are an abundance to choose from. The difficulty I have had is finding a book that is pitched at the right level for the paramedic. How much does a paramedic need to know about the ECG? As Douglas Chamberlain highlights in the foreword of this book, ‘everyone should have at least some knowledge of the heart’. From my experience, the more knowledge and understanding you have of ECGs, the better prepared you are to find the correct outcome for your patient. The issue is, how to learn what that squiggly line really means, how to partner this with your other clinical findings, and then come up with a working diagnosis and care plan. So, is this the book that will help you overcome your fear of ECGs?

The author begins with a useful guide to how to use the book; colour coding and four symbols provide clarity on the information provided and aim to highlight the important points which could protect your patient from harm. We are also directed to ‘The Golden Rule,’ which the reader should take special note of: ‘Always look at the patient’—I would suggest probably the most important message across the entirety of this book.