Coronary artery disease is the most commonly encountered problem in adult cardiology in the world. Echocardiography is the most commonly used imaging modality encountered in cardiology practice in the world. Even though there are many Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) reference books and echocardiography reference books, there is no single practical book so far in the literature with focus on the combined topics. The authors believe that this will be the first book to provide information on how echocardiography can be used in, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of ACS.

This sixth edition is enriched by over 300 figures, 150 tables and a video-companion collecting more than 100 cases also presented in the format of short movies and teaching cartoons. This extensively revised and enlarged edition of this long-seller documents the very significant advances made since the fifth (2009) edition and is entirely written by Eugenio Picano, a pioneer in the field sharing his lifetime experience with the help of an international panel of 50 contributors from 22 countries representing some of the best available knowledge and expertise in their respective field. In a societal and economic climate of increasing pressure for appropriate, justified and optimized imaging, stress echocardiography offers the great advantages of being radiation-free, relatively low cost, and with a staggering versatility: we can get more (information) with less (cost and risk). For a long time, the scope and application of stress echo remained focused on coronary artery disease. In the last ten years, it has exploded in its breadth and variety of applications. From a black-and-white, one-fits-all approach (wall motion by 2D-echo in the patient with known or suspected coronary artery disease) now we have moved on to a omnivorous, next-generation laboratory employing a variety of technologies (from M-Mode to 2D and pulsed, continuous, color and tissue Doppler, to lung ultrasound and real time 3D echo, 2D speckle tracking and myocardial contrast echo) on patients covering the entire spectrum of severity (from elite athletes to patients with end-stage heart failure) and ages (from children with congenital heart disease to the elderly with low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis).

For many years, there has been a great deal of work done on chronic congestive heart failure while acute heart failure has been considered a difficult to handle and hopeless syndrome. However, in recent years acute heart failure has become a growing area of study and this is the first book to cover extensively the diagnosis and management of this complex condition. The book reflects the considerable amounts of new data reported and many new concepts which have been proposed in the last 3-4 years looking at the epidemiology, diagnostic and treatment of acute heart failure.

Acute Coronary Syndromes—a Companion to Braunwald’s Heart Disease—covers the state-of-the-art scientific and clinical information you need to rapidly evaluate and manage acute coronary syndromes. Dr. Pierre Theroux and his team of expert contributors present advances in diagnostic and imaging techniques such as biomarkers, nuclear cardiology, echocardiography, and multislice CT; secondary prevention; and new antiplatelet, anti-ischemic, and gene therapies. Tap into the most definitive knowledge available from one of the leading experts in the field and a stellar cast of contributors. Understand the special considerations for the care of acute coronary syndromes in the emergency department and the coronary care unit. Effectively handle the treatment of special populations and chronic patients thanks to coverage of these challenges See techniques and procedures in greater detail and clarity through the all-new full-color design. Approach treatment with a global perspective from the new section on Population-Based Perspective that discusses the INTERHEART study, insights from the REACH registry, lessons learned from European registries, and ACS in North America. Gain a comprehensive understanding of ACS through coverage of pathophysiology, molecular mechanisms, the role of the immune system, and brand-new chapters on cell necrosis and cell regeneration and pharmacogenetics in the section on Disease-Based Perspectives. Integrate the latest testing and treatment techniques into your practice thanks to new chapters on biomarkers in acute ischemic heart disease; the role of noninvasive testing in prognostic risk stratification; the culprit lesions and patient at risk; non-responsiveness to antiplatelet therapy; bleeding in the acute coronary syndromes; and the refractory patient.

The ESC Textbook of Intensive and Acute Cardiovascular Care is the official textbook of the Acute Cardiovascular Care Association (ACVC) of the ESC. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a major cause of premature death worldwide and a cause of loss of disability-adjusted life years. For most types of CVD early diagnosis and intervention are independent drivers of patient outcome. Clinicians must be properly trained and centres appropriately equipped in order to deal with these critically ill cardiac patients. This new updated edition of the textbook continues to comprehensively approach all the different issues relating to intensive and acute cardiovascular care and addresses all those involved in intensive and acute cardiac care, not only cardiologists but also critical care specialists, emergency physicians and healthcare professionals. The chapters cover the various acute cardiovascular diseases that need high quality intensive treatment as well as organisational issues, cooperation among professionals, and interaction with other specialities in medicine. SECTION 1 focusses on the definition, structure, organisation and function of ICCU's, ethical issues and quality of care. SECTION 2 addresses the pre-hospital and immediate in-hospital (ED) emergency cardiac care. SECTIONS 3-5 discuss patient monitoring, diagnosis and specific procedures. Acute coronary syndromes (ACS), acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), and serious arrhythmias form SECTIONS 6-8. The main other cardiovascular acute conditions are grouped in SECTION 9. Finally SECTION 10 is dedicated to the many concomitant acute non-cardiovascular conditions that contribute to the patients' case mix in ICCU. This edition includes new chapters such as low cardiac output states and cardiogenic shock, and pacemaker and ICDs: troubleshooting and chapters have been extensively revised. Purchasers of the print edition will also receive an access code to access the online version of the textbook which includes additional figures, tables, and videos to better to better illustrate diagnostic and therapeutic techniques and procedures in IACC. The third edition of the ESC Textbook of Intensive and Acute Cardiovascular Care will establish a common basis of knowledge and a uniform and improved quality of care across the field.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a screening tool called the Listing of Impairments to identify claimants who are so severely impaired that they cannot work at all and thus immediately qualify for benefits. In this report, the IOM makes several recommendations for improving SSA's capacity to determine disability benefits more quickly and efficiently using the Listings.

Despite remarkable advances in the understanding and management of impaired left ventricular function (LVF) and related coronary disease, the prevalence of heart failure in the U.S. and the resulting death rates have almost tripled in the past 3 decades. New understanding of the relationships between the myocardium and LVF demonstrate a direct correlation between myocardial viability and improved patient survival. Because of this, myocardial viability is now a major investigative area in contemporary cardiology, one that holds significant clinical and prognostic relevance. Authored by physicians of international renown, the book brings together various disciplines affecting myocardial viability, with five main sections providing an introduction and comprehensive review of: basic concepts and mechanisms; vascular biology and cellular physiology; advances in functional imaging; and perfusion, metabolism and cell membrane integrity. New concepts, such as stunning and hibernation, are clarified, and subsequent novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies are described. New and sophisticated examination techniques are also presented, as well as advances in instrumentation and imaging techniques, which may result in improved use of resources and enhanced efficiency of health care delivery. This monograph will serve as a reference source for those interested in the field of myocardial viability, and hopefully improve understanding between investigators from various disciplines. Clinical cardiologists, physicians, and nurses in the field, as well as radiologists, vascular surgeons, reperfusionists, cellular biologists and physiologists, and students will all find material of interest in this book.