Tag Archives: Book review

Publisher: CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group 2015 ISBN: 978-1-4822-3192-2 Price: £27.99 Echocardiography is considered to be the only one diagnostic tool that allows live assessment of a beating heart, either cardiac function or valvular function as well as morphologic evaluation. It is therefore one of the most widely used first-line cardiac diagnostic tools for both cardiac and non-cardiac clinicians. This book, by authors among the most experienced echocardiographers provides an up-to-date and clear overview for how to report and interpret echocardiograms. With the straightforward approach, this book sets out to make an echo report in

Publisher: Matador, 2015 ISBN: 9781784624729 Price: £17.99 The author describes this as a story about aviation, its risks and the heart of the pilot. It is a story told extremely well from a unique personal perspective and should have wide appeal. It is principally an autobiography charting the author’s life in aviation and cardiology, and the interface between them that deals with the impact of cardiovascular disease on a pilot’s fitness to fly. It also includes a brief history of powered flight, insights into human factors and the quantification and containment of risk, as well as some entertaining travel writing, as the author recount

Publisher: Oxford Cardiology Library, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2015 ISBN: 9780198701972 Price: £19.99 I have always been fascinated by how primary care and secondary care look at hypertension in different lights. This pocket reference, written by cardiologists, demonstrates those differences and will mainly be of interest to their specialist colleagues. Examples of this are the inclusion of echocardiograms as basic investigations, whilst home blood pressure monitoring is never mentioned. Mostly written by Sunil Nadar, it is a collection of chapters that often repeat statements from previous chapters, particularly involving the epidem

Editors: Burri H, Deharo J-C, Israel C Publisher: Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2015 ISBN: 978-0-19-872777-4 Price: £59.99 This case-based study guide for implantable device troubleshooting is composed of 70 ‘real-life’ cases involving pacemakers, implantable cardio-defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) devices. It is aimed at all physicians and physiologists involved in the management of patients with implantable devices, and is the first in a series of specialist ‘handbooks’ produced by the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA). As such it particularly geared towards those sitting the EHRA affilia

Author: Rees AR Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2014 ISBN: 978-0-19-964657-9, Price: £44.99 Editor”s introduction The field of immunology cuts across all disciplines in biology, including cancer, heart disease, organ transplantation, and many others. Most human diseases can be traced to an immunologic or inflammatory component. While researchers strive to understand the immuno-pathogenesis of vascular disease and to develop a vaccine to conquer atherosclerosis, we may need to broaden our own horizons and revisit the basic principles underlying how the human immune system works. Where better to start than the antibody. The BJC is th

Author: Bennett DH Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012 ISBN: 978-0-470-67493-2, Price: £34.99 This 8th edition of Bennett’s cardiac arrhythmias offers a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms and management of the most commonly encountered types of arrhythmia in clinical practice. A large variety of good quality examples are provided appended with concise explanatory notes, and the layout is uniform throughout. What is particularly noteworthy and different from a standard book of electrocardiography is the fact that not only does the author outline and exemplify mechanisms and types of arrhythmia, but he also provides an introduction to ele

Just occasionally you come across a book which captivates your mind, one you know you will still be picking up and learning from in years to come, and a book that will be handed on to future generations, holding great historical interest. This slim yet detailed volume was researched and written by one of my surgical colleagues, Mr Francis Wells, whose interest in the heart has taken him from the cutting edge diagnostic and therapeutic surgical tools of the modern era, back to the 1500s and the heart studies of Leonardo da Vinci – a true ‘meeting of the minds’. The Royal Collection holds the finest of Leonardo’s drawings, and this boo

This helpful, practical guide to interventional cardiology focuses on procedural and technical aspects rather than the overall clinical practice approach usually seen in larger textbooks. It assumes that clinical decision-making prior to starting the procedure has been sound, and approaches things from the perspective of already having a patient on the table. The content and chapters are fairly comprehensive and logical in their order, with increasingly complex or less commonly performed procedures towards the end of the book. I would have liked a specific chapter on rotational atherectomy and also perhaps one on some adjunctive methods to ev

Rather than a structured textbook this is a collection of individual essays, some of which are very useful and interesting, and some not quite so good. There are 38 contributors for 18 chapters. Compiled for doctors ranging from the internist to the specialist, it is very much an American text. Outside of the US it will arouse the curiosity of those of us interested in hypertension, more in terms of an insight into the current thoughts of our American cousins. One particular insight is the recommendation to do urine spot tests for sodium and potassium levels, to check adherence to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, with

It is predicted that the prevalence of heart failure will continue to rise as more people survive cardiac conditions that not too long ago were deemed fatal, and as clinicians get better at recognising and diagnosing it. This compendium, which has been compiled by experts in the field, serves as an essential reference for anyone who is serious about the topic of heart failure. It provides the information required in a piecemeal fashion without compromising on crucial detail and evidence base, sometimes lacking in other textbooks attempting to condense this broad subject matter. It is presented in an easy to read and uncluttered fashion and th