Medical students encounter many challenges on their path to success, from managing their time, applying theory to practice, and passing exams. The Medical Student Survival Skills series helps medical students navigate core subjects of the curriculum, providing accessible, short reference guides for OSCE preparation and hospital placements. These guides are the perfect tool for achieving clinical success.
Medical Student Survival Skills: ECG is an indispensable resource for students new to ECG interpretation and cardiac arrhythmia recognition and treatment. Integrating essential clinical knowledge with practical OSCE advice, this portable guide provides concise and user-friendly coverage of all aspects of ECG monitoring, including atrial and ventricular fibrillation, myocardial infarction, and 12 lead ECG interpretation. Easy-to-find information, plentiful illustrations, OSCE checklists and expert discussions of actual ECG trace examples help medical students and junior doctors quickly get up to speed with ECG interpretation skills.
Preface vii
About the companion website ix
1 Introduction to ECG monitoring 1
2 Principles of ECG monitoring 3
3 Six stage approach to ECG interpretation 9
4 Sinus tachycardia 13
5 Sinus bradycardia 15
6 Sinus arrhythmia 17
7 Atrial ectopic beats 19
8 Atrial tachycardia 21
9 Atrial flutter 23
10 Atrial fibrillation 27
11 AV junctional ectopics 31
12 AV junctional escape rhythm 33
13 Junctional tachycardia 35
14 Ventricular ectopics 37
15 Idioventricular rhythm 41
16 Ventricular tachycardia 43
17 Torsades de pointes 47
18 First degree AV block 49
19 Second degree AV block Mobitz type I (Wenckebach phenomenon) 51
20 Second degree AV block Mobitz type II 53
21 Third degree (complete) AV block 55
22 Ventricular fibrillation 59
23 Ventricular standstill 61
24 Asystole 63
25 Recording a 12 lead ECG 65
26 What the standard 12 lead ECG records 71
27 Interpretation of a 12 lead ECG 75
28 ECG changes associated with myocardial infarction 81
29 ECG changes associated with myocardial ischaemia 87
30 ECG changes associated with bundle branch block 91
31 Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome 97
Appendix A: Resuscitation council (UK) bradycardia algorithm 99
Appendix B: Resuscitation council (UK) tachycardia algorithm 101
Appendix C: Resuscitation council (UK) advanced life support (ALS) algorithm 103
Appendix D: Vagal manoeuvres 105
Appendix E: Synchronised electrical cardioversion 107
Appendix F: External (transcutaneous) pacing 111
Appendix G: Procedure for transcutaneous pacing 113
Appendix H: Definitions 115
References 117
Index 119
