The electrocardiogram (ECG) is the fi rst test performed on most
cardiac patients–one that helps make the fi rst part of the diagnosis and
one that can frequently direct treatment decisions. Thus, for any physician,
a solid understanding of the ECG is critical. Learning the basics
and subtleties of the ECG is a right of passage for all physicians and
healthcare providers during their training.
So, what would we want from a book on ECGs? Ideally, such a book
would be comprehensive, yet concise, practically oriented, and explain
pathophysiology and its application to practice.
Dr. Khan has written such a book. Rapid ECG Interpretation is
comprehensive, yet concise, and very practically oriented. More important,
it takes a step-by-step approach, walking the reader through a
thorough evaluation of the ECG. This, as many of us have been taught,
is the “right” way to look at an ECG. This edition includes a new
opening chapter that covers basic concepts. This quickly orients the
reader to the physiology, anatomy, and geometry of the electrical system
of the heart.