Medical Student Survival Skills ECG

Medical students encounter many challenges on their path to success, from managing their time, applying theory to practice, and passing exams. The Medical Student Survival Skills series helps medical students navigate core subjects of the curriculum, providing accessible, short reference guides for OSCE preparation and hospital placements. These guides are the perfect tool for achieving clinical success.

Medical Student Survival Skills: ECG is an indispensable resource for students new to ECG interpretation and cardiac arrhythmia recognition and treatment. Integrating essential clinical knowledge with practical OSCE advice, this portable guide provides concise and user-friendly coverage of all aspects of ECG monitoring, including atrial and ventricular fibrillation, myocardial infarction, and 12 lead ECG interpretation. Easy-to-find information, plentiful illustrations, OSCE checklists and expert discussions of actual ECG trace examples help medical students and junior doctors quickly get up to speed with ECG interpretation skills.

Philip Jevon is Honorary Clinical Lecturer at Birmingham Medical School and Academy Manager/Tutor, Walsall Teaching Academy, Manor Hospital, Walsall, UK.

Jayant Gupta is Consultant Cardiologist, Senior Academy Tutor, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, Manor Hospital, Walsall, UK.

Preface vii

About the companion website ix

1 Introduction to ECG monitoring 1

2 Principles of ECG monitoring 3

3 Six stage approach to ECG interpretation 9

4 Sinus tachycardia 13

5 Sinus bradycardia 15

6 Sinus arrhythmia 17

7 Atrial ectopic beats 19

8 Atrial tachycardia 21

9 Atrial flutter 23

10 Atrial fibrillation 27

11 AV junctional ectopics 31

12 AV junctional escape rhythm 33

13 Junctional tachycardia 35

14 Ventricular ectopics 37

15 Idioventricular rhythm 41

16 Ventricular tachycardia 43

17 Torsades de pointes 47

18 First degree AV block 49

19 Second degree AV block Mobitz type I (Wenckebach phenomenon) 51

20 Second degree AV block Mobitz type II 53

21 Third degree (complete) AV block 55

22 Ventricular fibrillation 59

23 Ventricular standstill 61

24 Asystole 63

25 Recording a 12 lead ECG 65

26 What the standard 12 lead ECG records 71

27 Interpretation of a 12 lead ECG 75

28 ECG changes associated with myocardial infarction 81

29 ECG changes associated with myocardial ischaemia 87

30 ECG changes associated with bundle branch block 91

31 Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome 97

Appendix A: Resuscitation council (UK) bradycardia algorithm 99

Appendix B: Resuscitation council (UK) tachycardia algorithm 101

Appendix C: Resuscitation council (UK) advanced life support (ALS) algorithm 103

Appendix D: Vagal manoeuvres 105

Appendix E: Synchronised electrical cardioversion 107

Appendix F: External (transcutaneous) pacing 111

Appendix G: Procedure for transcutaneous pacing 113

Appendix H: Definitions 115

References 117

Index 119

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