,
,Editors: Baltazar, Romulo F.
Title: Basic and Bedside Electrocardiography, 1st Edition
Copyright ©2009 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Editor
Romulo F. Baltazar MD, FACC
Director, Noninvasive Cardiology Sinai Hospital of Baltimore
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland
, Editors: Baltazar, Romulo F.
Title: Basic and Bedside Electrocardiography, 1st Edition
Copyright ©2009 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Preface
More than 100 years since its introduction, electrocardiography continues to provide invaluable clinical
information. Even with the development of modern and more expensive technologies, its significance has
not declined. To the contrary, its clinical application continues to expand, and presently, it is the most
utilized diagnostic modality in the whole practice of medicine. In the hospital setting, it is routinely used
to monitor both cardiac and noncardiac patients, especially in acute care units and during the performanc
of various cardiac and noncardiac procedures. Thus, the information provided by the electrocardiogram
should be standard knowledge for every medical and paramedical professional who is involved with
patient care.
This book is purposely written in a format that will assist the beginner, including medical students, nurse
and paramedical professionals, in understanding basic electrocardiography. It is also intended for interns
residents, physician assistants, fellows, anesthesiologists, and clinical cardiologists by including standar
of care treatment of patients with electrocardiographic abnormalities based on the most recent practice
guidelines when guidelines are available. Thus, the book is a combination of both basic and bedside
electrocardiography.
The book integrates the comments and suggestions of many interns, residents, and attending physicians to
whom I owe a great deal of gratitude. I would like to thank Drs. Miruais Hamed, Paul Aoun, Eileen
Zingman, Olga Szalasny, Katja Vassiliades, Manish Arora, Onyi Onuoha, Brandon Togioka, Darshana
Purohit, Ranjani Ramanathan, Binu Matthew, Paolo Caimi, Mulugeta Fissha, Hany Bashandy, Cindy
Huang, Suzan Fattohy, Rachel Hartman, Kevin Hayes, Khawaja Farook, Jason Javillo, Jennifer Morales,
Ubadullah Sharief, Ledys de Marsico, Celian Valero, Samarina Ahmad, Kweku Hayford, Haritha Pendli
Maya Morrison, and many others. I am also grateful to Kittane Vishnupriya for his very helpful comments
and for the ECG that he painstakingly obtained to illustrate the significance of the posterior leads in the
diagnosis of posterolateral myocardial infarction when he was a coronary care resident. I am also gratef
to Drs. Gabriela Szabo, Ameena Etherington, and Soma Sengupta for reviewing chapters in the book, and
Laura Baldwin, our superb cardiology technician, who has taught me how to retrieve and record
electrocardiograms from our archives.
I am also grateful to Dr. Morton Mower who has been my mentor since I was a resident. His suggestions
for improving the book are greatly appreciated. I would also like to express my deep appreciation to Dr.
Steven Gambert, Chief of the Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University/Sinai Hospital Program
in Internal Medicine, for his support and encouragement and for his enthusiasm in having this book
published.
,Editors: Baltazar, Romulo F.
Title: Basic and Bedside Electrocardiography, 1st Edition
Copyright ©2009 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Editor
Romulo F. Baltazar MD, FACC
Director, Noninvasive Cardiology Sinai Hospital of Baltimore
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland
, Editors: Baltazar, Romulo F.
Title: Basic and Bedside Electrocardiography, 1st Edition
Copyright ©2009 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Preface
More than 100 years since its introduction, electrocardiography continues to provide invaluable clinical
information. Even with the development of modern and more expensive technologies, its significance has
not declined. To the contrary, its clinical application continues to expand, and presently, it is the most
utilized diagnostic modality in the whole practice of medicine. In the hospital setting, it is routinely used
to monitor both cardiac and noncardiac patients, especially in acute care units and during the performanc
of various cardiac and noncardiac procedures. Thus, the information provided by the electrocardiogram
should be standard knowledge for every medical and paramedical professional who is involved with
patient care.
This book is purposely written in a format that will assist the beginner, including medical students, nurse
and paramedical professionals, in understanding basic electrocardiography. It is also intended for interns
residents, physician assistants, fellows, anesthesiologists, and clinical cardiologists by including standar
of care treatment of patients with electrocardiographic abnormalities based on the most recent practice
guidelines when guidelines are available. Thus, the book is a combination of both basic and bedside
electrocardiography.
The book integrates the comments and suggestions of many interns, residents, and attending physicians to
whom I owe a great deal of gratitude. I would like to thank Drs. Miruais Hamed, Paul Aoun, Eileen
Zingman, Olga Szalasny, Katja Vassiliades, Manish Arora, Onyi Onuoha, Brandon Togioka, Darshana
Purohit, Ranjani Ramanathan, Binu Matthew, Paolo Caimi, Mulugeta Fissha, Hany Bashandy, Cindy
Huang, Suzan Fattohy, Rachel Hartman, Kevin Hayes, Khawaja Farook, Jason Javillo, Jennifer Morales,
Ubadullah Sharief, Ledys de Marsico, Celian Valero, Samarina Ahmad, Kweku Hayford, Haritha Pendli
Maya Morrison, and many others. I am also grateful to Kittane Vishnupriya for his very helpful comments
and for the ECG that he painstakingly obtained to illustrate the significance of the posterior leads in the
diagnosis of posterolateral myocardial infarction when he was a coronary care resident. I am also gratef
to Drs. Gabriela Szabo, Ameena Etherington, and Soma Sengupta for reviewing chapters in the book, and
Laura Baldwin, our superb cardiology technician, who has taught me how to retrieve and record
electrocardiograms from our archives.
I am also grateful to Dr. Morton Mower who has been my mentor since I was a resident. His suggestions
for improving the book are greatly appreciated. I would also like to express my deep appreciation to Dr.
Steven Gambert, Chief of the Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University/Sinai Hospital Program
in Internal Medicine, for his support and encouragement and for his enthusiasm in having this book
published.
