Rapid Cardiac Care is an indispensable resource for all frontline staff working with acutely ill patients. Offering easy access to the knowledge base needed to provide rapid, safe and effective cardiac care, it is ideal for newly qualified healthcare professionals including, nurses, paramedics, cardiac technicians, junior medics, and physiotherapists.
Key features include:
- Essential information to support the assessment of the cardiac patient including focused history taking and physical assessment, rhythm interpretation and 12-lead ECG assessment
- Practical guidance on how to care for patients with cardiac emergencies, including acute coronary syndromes, arrhythmias, heart failure and cardiac arrest
- A quick reference A-Z section that explores a wide range of conditions affecting the heart, each with a comprehensive overview of patient presentation and strategies to guide patient assessment and management
- Diagrams and images are provided to facilitate learning
Table of Contents
List of Abbreviations ix
Preface xii
Acknowledgements xiii
Part 1: Cardiac Anatomy and Physiology
Anatomy 3
Cardiac cycle 5
Cardiac conduction system 6
Coronary circulation 8
Part 2: Rapid Cardiac Assessment
Introduction 13
Cardiac history taking 14
Physical examination 18
Cardiac Monitoring 21
Rapid rhythm recognition 23
Cardiac investigations 25
Part 3: Rapid 12‐lead ECG Interpretation
Introduction 31
Cardiac vectors and axis 33
Rapid ECG analysis tool 34
Rate and rhythm assessment 35
QRS axis calculation 36
Pre‐excitation syndromes 37
Bundle branch block and fascicular block 38
Myocardial ischaemia or infarction 41
Other abnormalities seen on the 12‐lead ECG 44
Part 4: Cardiac Conditions A–Z
Acute coronary syndromes 47
Acute coronary syndromes: treatment and interventions 51
Acute heart failure 54
Aortic aneurysm 57
Aortic dissection 59
Aortic regurgitation 61
Aortic stenosis 63
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy 65
Atrial fibrillation 67
Atrial flutter 69
Brugada syndrome 71
Cardiac arrest 73
Cardiac arrhythmias: treatment and interventions 75
Cardiogenic shock 79
Dilated cardiomyopathy 81
Heart blocks 83
Hypertension 86
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy 88
Infective endocarditis 90
Long QT syndrome 92
Marfan syndrome 94
Mitral regurgitation 96
Mitral stenosis 98
Myocarditis 100
Pericarditis 102
Supraventricular tachycardia 104
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy 107
Ventricular tachycardia 109
Wolff‐Parkinson‐White syndrome (Pre‐excitation syndrome) 111
Index 113
