Cardiologia

This book, written in the popular Q and A format of the "YQA" series will provide succinct, expert information for a primary care doctor to be able to understand and treat patients who have hypertension. Answers are presented in a succinct, accessible style, with emphasis on evidence-based, up-to-date knowledge.

Leslie T. Cooper, Jr., MD, and a panel of leading clinical and scientific experts comprehensively review both advances in basic scientific understanding and current clinical knowledge of inflammatory heart disease. On the clinical side they discuss the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of nonspecific and specific myocarditis in separate chapters devoted to such major idiopathic clinical entities as cardiac sarcoidosis, giant cell myocarditis, eosinophilic myocarditis, Chagas disease, rheumatic fever, and human immunodeficiency virus-related cardiomyopathy. Research articles complete the picture with discussions of the role of apoptosis in viral myocarditis, rat and mouse models of autoimmune giant cell and lymphocytic myocarditis, and the latest available data on enteroviral proteases and cardiomyopathy.

Implantable defibrillators as originally conceived by Michel Mirowski were limited to the detection and automatic termination of ventricular fibrillation. In the original "AID" device, the detection algoritlun sought to distinguish sinus rhytlun from ventricular fibrillation by identifying the "more sinusoidal waveform of ventricular fibrillation. " The therapeutic intervention was elicited only once deadly polymorphic rhythms had developed. It was rapidly learned, however, that ventricular fibrillation is usually preceded by ventricular tachycardia. Mirowski recognized the pivotal importance of developing algoritllms based on heart rate. Ventricular tachycardia detection allowed the successful development of interventions for the termination of ventricular tachyarrhythmias before they degenerated into ventricular fibrillation. Current device therapy no longer confines itself to tlle termination of chaotic rhythms but seeks to prevent them. Diagnostic algorithms moved upward along the chain of events leading to catastrophic rhytlulls. Rate smoothing algorithms were developed to prevent postextrasystolic pauses from triggering ventricular and atrial tachyarrhytlmlias. Beyond the renaissance of ectopy-centered strategies, long-term prevention received increasing attention. Multisite pacing therapies provided by "Arrhythmia Management Devices" were designed to reduce the "arrhytlunia burden" and optimize the synergy of cardiac contraction and relaxation. Clinical evidence now suggests that atrial fibrillation prevention by pacing is feasible and tllat biventricular pacing may be of benefit in selected patients with heart failure. However, these applications of device therapy that generally require ventricular defibrillation backup remain investigational and were not considered in this book.

The new edition of this book covers fluid-filled systems, intracranial hemodynamics, open-heart surgery patients, pediatric patients, and more! It shows exactly how to insert and manipulate catheters safely, read monitors properly and interpret readings accurately. Precise illustrations deliver crucial details on delicate techniques. The latest edition has been thoroughly updated and revised incorporating all the new techniques and procedures.

Cardiac diseases and in particular coronary artery disease are the leading cause of death and morbidity in the industrialized countries. The development of reliable cardiac imaging techniques is considered a key issue in improving patient care. The introduction of multi-slice computed tomography in 1998 represented a breakthrough of CT technology in cardiac imaging. For the first time, widely available CT systems can be used for non-invasive, angiographic assessment of the heart and the coronary arteries. This book presents and discusses the technical concepts, the potential spectrum of applications and the future perspectives of multi-slice CT in cardiac imaging based on the experience of internationally leading clinical institutions. It shows that this new modality has the potential to become an important and robust tool for non-invasive and early diagnosis of cardiac diseases, thus complementing invasive and non-invasive imaging modalities in clinical routine in the near future.

Through its previous editions, "Cardiac Arrythmias" has become established as a highly respected practical guide to the interpretation and treatment of cardiac rhythm disturbances. For this sixth edition, the content has been updated throughout, with increased emphasis on physical interventions and more information on sudden cardiac death and its prevention. The latest information on current pharmacological treatments and new therapies in development are also included. The book will continue to provide invaluable advice to junior doctors, coronary care nurses, higher level medical students and general physicians requiring a ready reference to this important subject.