This book comprises the essential records from a Boerhaave course given in June 1971 for specialists in cardiology and other fields of internal medicine interested in the subject of quantitation in cardiology. It is evident that in the wide field of medicine, and particularly in cardiology, there is a growing need for exact and detailed information in conjunction with existing diag nostic methods. This is apparent in the greater precision in anatomical and haemodynamic details required by the thoracic surgeon as the number of available heart operations gradually increases. In retrospect it is hardly surprising that the high initial mortality after the introduction of each operation depended to a large extent upon the degree of accuracy with which the diagnosis was made. Another urgent need for precise and quantitative information became apparent when monitoring of high-risk patients, in order to forestall compli cations and/or death, became routine. The same applies for the diagnostic procedures used to estimate the patient's chances of surviving an operation and/or rehabilitation after a serious incident, such as myocardial infarction. In these fields there is a vast amount of data to be handled and - in modern diagnostic procedures - it must be processed so rapidly that the human mind cannot suffice and computer equipment has becomeindispensable.

Inhalt
Introductory Chapter.- The need for quantitation in cardiology.- 1 Myocardial Infarction.- Quantitative diagnosis of myocardial infarction.- Quantitation of myocardial infarct size and location by electrocardiogram and vectorcardiogram.- Quantitation of the size of a myocardial infarction by determination of plasma enzymes.- Collateral circulation.- Discussion.- 2 Exercise Tests.- Electrocardiography during exercise in patients with coronary sclerosis and normal electrocardiogram at rest. Comparison with findings from coronary arteriography.- Quantitative approach to exercise testing for ischaemic heart disease.- Discussion.- 3 Peripheral Circulation.- Quantitative measurements of blood flow and blood pressure in muscle and skin.- Pulsatile blood velocity and pressure and the computer analysis of cardiovascular data.- Discussion.- 4 Cardiac Rhythm.- Computer detection and analysis of ventricular ectopic rhythms.- First steps in real-time arrhythmia screening.- Methods for beat-to-beat and statistical classification.- Discussion.- 5 Left Ventricular Function.- The significance of measurement of contractility of the heart.- Quantitative assessment of left ventricular function.- Discussion.- 6 Left Ventricular Size and Function.- Methods for the analysis of angiocardiographic data.- Left ventricular volume, mass and related measures. Usefulness in determination of ventricular function.- Measurement of contractile element velocity. A comparison of three methods.- Determination of left ventricular volume and ejection fraction by echocardiography.- Discussion.- Concluding Chapter.- Summing up.- Index of subjects.