For centuries the analysis of the heart rhythm has belonged to the foundations of medical art. We know that doctors in ancient Tibet used the interpretation of the heart rate to draw prognostic conclusions—somehow a modern rationale—that deserves further attention. The rapid advancement of science is providing more and more information about the details, but the subatomic resolution of structures hides the risk and the complex procedures are fragmented into static impressions. The same has happened to the ECG. The revolutionary development, acknowledged by the Nobel Prize for Einthoven, ledfromtheanalysisofthedynamicheartratetothestaticanalysisofthe heartstream curve. It is only with the ECG Holter recording over longer periods that the cardiologists rediscovered the old dynamic. With the continuous recording of the heart rate and its periodicity, it became accessible to a new dimension, a dim- sion that requires technically well-de?ned foundations for accurate data coll- tion, detailed knowledge of the electrocardiologic particularities of arrhythmia, and medical knowledge for the translation of the results into a diagnostic synthesis. With the ECG Holter the issue is no longer just to detect an arrhythmia, but also to determine dynamic circumstance in which the critical event occurred. In fact, we investigate the trigger, the event, and the context, and we have to integrate all of that information within the clinical picture, from the pathology right through to the symptom—indeed a multi-dimensional task.

Ambulatory (Holter monitor) electrocardiog understand the clinical situation. Diagrams and raphy has been one of the most essential and tables considered to be clinically pertinent are most useful noninvasive diagnostic tools in the also shown. In some instances, the clinically field of cardiovascular disea~e in the past decade. important electrocardiographic rhythm strips The primary indication for ambulatory obtained in our Emergency Room and Cardiac (Holter monitor) electrocardiography is to Clinic are illustrated. The exercise electrocardio document any cardiac arrhythmia, particularly grams (treadmill stress ECG testing) are in when the rhythm disturbance occurs transiently cluded in cases in which they are clinically or intermittently. The Holter monitor electro useful. cardiography has an equally important role in In General Considerations, indications, the the evaluation of various symptoms, such as proper approach to interpretation, and tech nical aspects, as well as lead systems of the dizziness, syncope, chest pain, and palpitations, which may be related to cardiac rhythm dis Holter monitor electrocardiography, are dis turbances. In addition, the Holter monitor cussed. The value of Holter monitor electro cardiography is compared with that of the electrocardiography provides useful information exercise (stress) ECG test. The Appendix for the diagnosis of transient myocardial is chemia and the evaluation of anti-arrhythmic summarizes the material by way of 11 tables. This book will be of particular value to all drug therapy as well as artificial pacemaker primary physicians, including family physicians, function.

As arrhythmias may be transient in nature and not seen during the shorter recording times of the standard ECG, ECG Holter monitoring allows the physician to make better informed decisions for the cardiac patient. The devices are worn by patients on an outpatient basis for days or weeks and can also be implanted subcutaneously. ECG Holter recordings are especially useful since they can be programmed individually for activation and specific tracing analysis. Designed for rapid study, this book contains 100 illustrative cases in ECG Holter monitoring. Each case consists of a tracing followed by a brief explanation of the findings. 100 Cases in ECG Holter is the perfect resource for busy physicians looking to optimize their skills at interpreting ECG Holter readings.

This book is a comprehensive overview of electrocardiography and the major effects of current cardiac pharmacological therapy on electrocardiography. The text is based on work presented at the International Symposium on Non-invasive Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Therapy, held in May, 1987 at the University of Cologne. The theme of the book is to review, in broad clinical perspective the current state-of-the-art of electrocardiography as it pertains to standard electrocar diograms, exercise testing, ambulatory electrocardiography, electrocardiographic telemetry, and high resolution electrocardiography. Furthermore, advance!, in cardiac drug therapy in relation to diuretics, beta blocking drugs, antiarrhythmic agents and thrombolytic agents are reviewed. The emphasis of the conference and this book is to review the clinical state-of-the-art information and applications in this regard. In the initial section on electrocardiography, Dr. Spodick reviews our present day physiologic and pathophysiologic understanding of systolic time intervals, and how they are affected by a variety of cardiac disease states and pharmacologic agents. Dr. Ellestad examines problems and provides pragmatic tips on exercise testing in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease, and advances in exercise scores and computer analysis. Dr. Graboys reviews the value of exercise testing in the diagnosis and management of patients with serious ventricular arrhythmias. Dr. Kellermann presents the complimentary role that exercise testing plays in com prehensive follow-up therapy of the cardiac patient, and the use of exercise for work and physical training. Detailed information concerning the interaction of cardiac rehabilitation and ventricular arrhythmias are examined.

In healthcare systems, medical devices help physicians and specialists in diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutics. As research shows, validation of medical devices is significantly optimized by accurate signal processing. Biomedical Signal and Image Processing in Patient Care is a pivotal reference source for progressive research on the latest development of applications and tools for healthcare systems. Featuring extensive coverage on a broad range of topics and perspectives such as telemedicine, human machine interfaces, and multimodal data fusion, this publication is ideally designed for academicians, researchers, students, and practitioners seeking current scholarly research on real-life technological inventions.

One of the most time-consuming tasks in clinical medicine is seeking the opinions of specialist colleagues. There is a pressure not only to make referrals appropriate but also to summarize the case in the language of the specialist. This book explains basic physiologic and pathophysiologic mechanisms of cardiovascular disease in a straightforward manner, gives guidelines as to when referral is appropriate, and, uniquely, explains what the specialist is likely to do. It is ideal for any hospital doctor, generalist, or even senior medical student who may need a cardiology opinion, or for that ma.