THE ONLY EKG BOOK YOU'LL EVER NEED

For more than 25 years, The Only EKG Book You’ll Ever Need has lived up to its name as an easy-to-understand, practical, and clear reference for everyday practice and clinical decision making. Dr. Thaler’s ability to simplify complex concepts makes this an ideal tool for students, teachers, and practitioners at all levels who need to be competent in understanding how to read an EKG. Clear illustrations, clinical examples, and case studies help you quickly learn how identify and interpret hypertrophy and enlargement, arrhythmias, conduction blocks, pre-excitation syndromes, myocardial infarction, and more.

Features
- New material throughout and shortened and simplified explanations ensure that you’re reading the most up-to-date, clear, and accurate text available.
- More than 200 facsimiles of EKG strips provide greater insight into normal and abnormal tracings, increasing your understanding of their clinical significance.
- Clinical examples, interactive questions, and case studies put key concepts into real-world context so that what you learn is immediately usable.
- Full-color, simple illustrations highlight important concepts and make challenging concepts easier to understand.
- A companion ebook, with fully searchable text and interactive question bank, makes this a great resource for students, teachers, and practitioners.

Now with the print edition, enjoy the bundled interactive eBook edition, offering tablet, smartphone, or online access to:
- Complete content with enhanced navigation
- Powerful search tools and smart navigation cross-links that pull results from content in the book, your notes, and even the web
- Cross-linked pages, references, and more for easy navigation
- Highlighting tool for easier reference of key content throughout the text
- Ability to take and share notes with friends and colleagues
- Quick reference tabbing to save your favorite content for future use

Author
Malcolm S. Thaler, MD
Physician, Internal Medicine, One Medical Group. Clinical Instructor in Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College. Medical Staff, New York Presbyterian Hospital. New York, New York.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: The Basics
Electricity and the Heart
The Cells of the Heart
Time and Voltage
P Waves, QRS Complexes, T Waves, and Some Straight Lines
Naming the Straight Lines
Summary: The Waves and Straight Lines of the EKG
Making Waves
The 12 Views of the Heart
A Word About Vectors
The Normal 12-Lead EKG
Summary: Orientation of the Waves of the Normal EKG
Coming Attractions
Chapter 2: Hypertrophy and Enlargement of the Heart
Definitions
Axis
Summary: Axis
Axis Deviation, Hypertrophy, and Enlargement
Atrial Enlargement
Summary: Atrial Enlargement
Ventricular Hypertrophy
Secondary Repolarization Abnormalities of Ventricular Hypertrophy
Summary: Ventricular Hypertrophy
CASE 1
CASE 2
Chapter 3: Arrhythmias
The Clinical Manifestations of Arrhythmias
Why Arrhythmias Happen
Rhythm Strips
How to Determine the Heart Rate From the EKG
The Five Basic Types of Arrhythmias
Arrhythmias of Sinus Origin
Summary: Arrhythmias of Sinus Origin
Ectopic Rhythms
Reentrant Rhythms
The Four Questions
Supraventricular Arrhythmias
Summary: Supraventricular Arrhythmias
Ventricular Arrhythmias
Summary: Ventricular Arrhythmias
Supraventricular Versus Ventricular Arrhythmias
Summary: Ventricular Tachycardia Versus PSVT With Aberrancy
Programmed Electrical Stimulation
Implantable Defibrillators
External Defibrillators
CASE 3
CASE 4
CASE 5
Chapter 4: Conduction Blocks
What Is a Conduction Block?
AV Blocks
Summary: AV Blocks
Bundle Branch Block
Summary: Bundle Branch Block
Hemiblocks
Combining Right Bundle Branch Block and Hemiblocks
Blocks That Underachieve
The Ultimate in Playing With Blocks: Combining AV Blocks, Right Bundle
Branch Block, and Hemiblocks
Pacemakers
CASE 6
CASE 7
CASE 8
Chapter 5: Preexcitation Syndromes
What Is Preexcitation?
Wolff–Parkinson–White Syndrome
Lown–Ganong–Levine Syndrome
Associated Arrhythmias
Summary: Preexcitation
CASE 9
Chapter 6: Myocardial Ischemia and Infarction
What Is a Myocardial Infarction?
How to Diagnose a Myocardial Infarction
Summary: The EKG Changes of an Evolving Myocardial Infarction
Localizing the Infarct
Non–Q-Wave Myocardial Infarctions
Apical Ballooning Syndrome
Angina
Summary: The ST Segment in Ischemic Cardiac Disease
Limitations of the EKG in Diagnosing an Infarction
Stress Testing
CASE 10
CASE 11
Chapter 7: Finishing Touches
Electrolyte Disturbances
Hypothermia
Drugs
More on the QT Interval
Other Cardiac Disorders
Pulmonary Disorders
Central Nervous System Disease
Sudden Cardiac Death
The Athlete’s Heart
Preparticipation Screening for Athletes
Sleep Disorders
The Preoperative Evaluation
Summary: Miscellaneous Conditions
CASE 12
CASE 13
Chapter 8: Putting It All Together
The 11-Step Method for Reading EKGs
Review Charts
Chapter 9: How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall