The ECG in Practice

An excellent value for money pocketbook reference for anyone dealing with ECGs on a regular basis, whether rhythm strips or twelve leads. If you understand the cardiac axis, and the chest lead progression then you should have no problem with understanding the contents. The chapters are sensibly grouped into; healthy people, palpitations and syncope, chest pain, breathlessness, and non cardiac influences; the main reasons why you would be recording an ECG. The wide range of examples – often overlooked in other texts – is bound to be useful as there are twenty examples of what can be ‘normal’, and this should help the reader from falling into the trap of diagnosing ECGs by what they look like. Also included are useful reminders on interpretation, and plenty of clinical information. The only drawback is that the recordings are all reduced in size, and the manner by which limb leads and chest leads are grouped on the page could be improved. Every cardiology ward or department should have a copy, as it would be a useful reference to both medical and nursing staff.

I really like this book for its clear in depth information on ECG interpretation. However, you have to invest a fair bit of time in understanding everything so its not for the faint hearted. Anther easier option would be to read the other books in this series by the same author ie the ecg made easy and 150 ecg questions. I think the question book is really good and once you’ve read it cover to cover ecgs will be easier.
With this new edition of the ‘ecg in practice’ they have deleted the first chapter which was entitled ‘the ecg made easy- a revision’, which was basically the entirety of the ecg made easy. Hence with the previous edition you effectively got two books for the price of one. Clearly the publishers have got wise to this and deleted the chapter. A shame but makes business sense.

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