Pattern recognition is an important learning tool in the interpretation of ECGs. Unfortunately, until faced with a patient with an arrhythmia or structural heart disease, pediatric practitioners generally receive limited exposure to ECGs. The ability to clearly distinguish an abnormal ECG pattern from a normal variant in an emergency situation is an essential skill, but one that many pediatricians feel ill-prepared to utilize confidently. In Pediatric ECG Interpretation: An Illustrative Guide, Drs. Deal, Johnsrude and Buck aim to address this issue by illustrating many of the ECG patterns a pediatric practitioner is likely to encounter.
ECG illustrations with interpretations are presented in several categories: normal children of all ages, acquired abnormalities such as hypertrophy or electrolyte disorders, and common congenital heart disease lesions. Later sections cover bradycardia, supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias, and a basic section on pacemaker ECGs. Simple techniques used to interpret mechanisms of arrhythmias are described as a resource for practitioners in cardiology, adult electrophysiology, or pediatrics who may not have a readily accessible resource for these ECG examples.
The accompanying CD has been prepared with 3 purposes in mind:
1 as a self-evaluation tool for interpretation of ECGs
2 as a teaching reference for Cardiology fellows, residents, and house staff
3 as an invaluable resource for the Emergency Room physician or pediatrician who might obtain an ECG on a pediatric patientContent:
Chapter 1 Introduction (pages 7โ15):
Chapter 2 Normal ECGs (pages 16โ39):
Chapter 3 Abnormal ECGs (pages 40โ59):
Chapter 4 Acquired Heart Disease (pages 60โ87):
Chapter 5 Congenital Heart Disease (pages 88โ121):
Chapter 6 Bradycardia and Conduction Defects (pages 122โ153):
Chapter 7 Supraventricular Tachycardia (pages 154โ201):
Chapter 8 Ventricular Arrhythmias (pages 202โ239):
Chapter 9 Pacemakers (pages 240โ256):
