The field of electrocardiogram (ECG)interpretation has developed extensively over the past century, and it is still a hugely influential diagnostic test that is critical for further diagnostic procedures, especially therapeutic interventions. However, not every physician and student of medicine is aware of the important theoretic basics of electrocardiology, from the important difference between the heart muscle fiber and the conduction fiber (explaining the capacity of acting as impulse generator) to the left ventricular vectors also in their simplified form and to the different grades of ischemia. Moreover the calculation of the frontal QRS-Axis (AQRSF) is provided. The author thus provides the reader with a solid grounding in the basics of electrocardiography in this highly practical and structured reference work.

Appropriate for all students of medicine, Fellows in internal medicine, cardiology, and any discipline requiring an in-depth knowledge of the functioning of the heart, this book represents a lifetime's involvement with invasive and non-invasive cardiology by one of Switzerland's leading cardiologists. Numerous ECGs and drawings illustrate the text. Ease of reference is facilitated by the concentration on practical information that does not overwhelm the reader with exhaustive detail.

Zusammenfassung

For every physician that interprets ECGs, there is great need to understand a vast amount of information regarding the technique. That the basics of the technique have changed little over the last 100 years means that there is a huge amount of subtle detail that must be learnt to enable its effective use as a diagnostic test. The ECG technique is critical for deciding upon further diagnostic procedures and therapeutic interventions (notably coronary angiography, PTCA, stenting, coronary artery bypass grafting, pacemaker insertion, ablation, electroconversion etc). Without attaining the skills to practice the ECG procedure and knowledge of its diagnostic value - skills often overlooked during medical training - physicians will be unlikely to use it to the benefit of their patients.

Inhalt
Some Theoretic Aspects.- Practical Approach.- The Normal Electrocardiogram and Its (Normal) Variants.- Atrial Enlargement and Other Abnormalities of the p Wave.- Left Ventricular Hypertrophy.- Right Ventricular Hypertrophy.- Biventricular Hypertrophy.- Pulmonary Embolism.- Fascicular Blocks.- Complete and Incomplete Bundle-Branch Blocks.- Bilateral Bifasciular Blocks.- Atrioventricular Block and Atrioventricular Dissociation.- Myocardial Infarction.- Differential Diagnosis of Pathologic Q Waves.- Acute and Chronic Pericarditis.- Electrolyte Imbalance and Disturbances.- Alterations of Repolarization.- Atrial Premature Beats.- Atrial Tachycardias.- Atrial Flutter.- Atrial Fibrillation.- Sick Sinus and Carotis Sinus Syndromes.- Atrioventricular Junctional Tachycardias.- Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome.- Ventricular Premature Beats.- Ventricular Tachycardia.- Pacemaker Electrocardiogram.- Congenital and Acquired-Valvular Heart Diseases.- Digitalis Intoxication.