Physical assessment is a means of evaluating health status using a combination of clinical examination and history taking. A complete physical assessment should form the basis of all nursing care. Physical Assessment for Nurses is aimed at all advanced nurse practitioners and nurses preparing to become advanced nurse practitioners. It forms the foundation for extending practice. The text explores best practice in history taking and summarises the key clinical skills needed to develop and improve physical examination skills and to competently assess, diagnose, plan and provide care. Physical Assessment for Nurses is adapted for nurse practitioners from Turner and Blackwood: Lecture Notes on Clinical Skills (Third edition).
An expert introduction to stage-wise adaptive designs in all areas of statistics Stage-Wise Adaptive Designs presents the theory and methodology of stage-wise adaptive design across various areas of study within the field of statistics, from sampling surveys and time series analysis to generalized linear models and decision theory. Providing the necessary background material along with illustrative S-PLUS functions, this book serves as a valuable introduction to the problems of adaptive designs. The author begins with a cohesive introduction to the subject and goes on to concentrate on generalized linear models, followed by stage-wise sampling procedures in sampling surveys. Adaptive forecasting in the area of time series analysis is presented in detail, and two chapters are devoted to applications in clinical trials. Bandits problems are also given a thorough treatment along with sequential detection of change-points, sequential applications in industrial statistics, and software reliability. S-Plus functions are available to accompany particular computations, and all examples can be worked out using R, which is available on the book's related FTP site. In addition, a detailed appendix outlines the use of these software functions, while an extensive bibliography directs readers to further research on the subject matter. Assuming only a basic background in statistical topics, Stage-Wise Adaptive Designs is an excellent supplement to statistics courses at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It also serves as a valuable reference for researchers and practitioners in the fields of statistics and biostatistics.
Biomarkers in Heart Disease is the first title in the AHA Clinical Series and is aimed at meeting the needs of clinicians, providing cardiologists, internists, emergency physicians, laboratorians, and other healthcare providers with a clear understanding of the role of biomarkers in contemporary cardiovascular medicine. The book covers both the strengths and pitfalls of currently available markers, and provides information on the most promising biomarkers that are likely to impact practice in the next few years. It is divided into four parts, organized around clinical scenarios rather than individual biomarkers. This book will help the practicing physician decide which biomarkers to measure, when to measure them, how to interpret the results and how to make decisions based on the test result.
Fully revised and updated, the fourth edition of Cardiac Pacing and ICDs continues to be an accessible and practical clinical reference for residents, fellows, surgeons, nurses, PAs, and technicians. The chapters are organized in the sequence of the evaluation of an actual patient, making it an effective practical guide. Revised chapters and updated artwork and tables plus a new chapter on cardiac resynchronization make the new edition an invaluable clinical resource. Features: · New chapter on Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy · Updated and better quality figures and tables · Updated content based on ACC/AHA/NASPE guidelines · Updated indications for ICD placement · Updated information on ICD and pacemaker troubleshooting
In recent years there has been considerable interest in the diagnosis and understanding of ventricular repolarisation, particularly the QT interval prolongation and abnormal T and T/U wave morphology associated with torsades de pointes. Advances in ion channel cloning have greatly improved our understanding of the role of ionic channels in mediating cardiac repolarisation. Unfortunately, it is increasingly recognised that a number of drugs, both those associated with altering repolarisation, and others for non-cardiac conditions can increase the propensity for polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, syncope and even ventricular fibrillation and sudden death. In this volume, arrhythmia specialists from St. George’s Hospital Medical School, London discuss the mechanisms behind QT prolongation and torsades de pointes. They focus particularly on the risk of individual cardiac and non-cardiac drugs in provoking long QT syndrome, providing a comprehensive review which will be useful for all electrophysiologists treating polymorphic ventricular tachycardias, and will expose important regulatory issues for pharmaceutical authorities and for the wider medical community.
Congenital heart disease with its worldwide incidence of 1% is the most common inborn defect. Increasingly, patients are living into adulthood, with ongoing congenital heart and other medical needs. Sadly, only a small minority have specialist follow-up. However, all patients see their family doctor and may also seek advice from other health professionals. This practical guide with its straightforward a,b,c approach is written for those professionals. Special features of this book: • Introduces the principles of congenital heart disease and tells you whom and when to refer for specialist care • Discusses common congenital heart lesions in a practical, easy-to-follow way, with an emphasis on diagnosis and management issues • Includes an extensive chapter on 'Pregnancy and Contraception' (by Philip J. Steer), essential both for family planning and for managing safely the pregnant woman with congenital heart disease • Includes chapters on non-cardiac surgery and lifestyle issues such as work, insurability, travel and driving • Provides invaluable information on dealing with common emergencies; what to do and what not to do With a wealth of illustrations (including diagrams, EKGs, CXRs, Echos and cardiac MRIs) and with key point tables, this is an essential guide for all health care professionals managing patients with adult congenital heart disease.
Highly Commended in the Cardiology category at the British Medical Association Book Awards 2009 This brand new title in the popular at a Glance seriescombines the science behind ECGs with how to use them to guide diagnosis and treatment. These key skills are fundamental for examination of the cardiovascular system and all medical students and specialist nurses are expected to be proficient at ECG interpretation. The at a Glance approach provides a large number of clear diagrams and example ECGs alongside concise text, putting the ECGs into a clinical context, all in easy-to-absorb double-page sections.
“Variants of Ventricular Preexcitation: Recognition and Treatment provides a unique opportunity for general cardiologists and electrophysiologists to find in one text the intricacies of recognizing and treating a group of disorders that has intrigued physicians for more than 100 years.” –from the Foreword by Mark E. Josephson, MD, Chief, Cardiovascular Division, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, USA Drs Sternick and Wellens combine their expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias to bring you this complete overview of decrementally conducting accessory pathways and their role in cardiac arrhythmias. This is the first book dedicated to these special types of accessory pathways, their recognition and management. By covering the uncommon varieties of ventricular preexcitation, this book supports you in improving patient care by: Helping you to identify decrementally conducting AV fibers- which comprise 3-5 % of all accessory AV pathways Explaining exactly what information can be obtained from the 12-lead ECG Showing how to identify and localize these pathways during an electrophysiologic study Detailing the proper treatment and how to treat these patients By explaining the fundamental pathophysiology as well as the diverse clinical presentation of arrhythmias, Drs Sternick and Wellens demystify the subject of the different variants of decrementally conducting accessory pathways leading to ventricular pre-excitation and their role in cardiac arrhythmias.
The new edition of this practical guide draws on the clinical skills of a wide range of international experts to help you recognize and manage heart disease in pregnancy. Designed for on-the-spot use, this convenient and concise text helps you identify a cardiac problem, understand its pathophysiology, and respond appropriately. Under the careful editorial direction of Drs. Oakley and Warnes, the Second Edition introduces new contributors from North America and Europe as well as new chapters on: pulmonary hypertension rheumatic heart disease artificial heart valves Marfan syndrome auto-immune diseases hypertrophic cardiomyopathy rhythm disorders hypertension cardiac intervention The entire book is scrupulously updated to reflect the most current standards of care. The contributors – all recognized leaders in their respective fields – outline the pathway to diagnosis and appropriate management by a multi-disciplinary team. Although heart disease is the leading medical cause of maternal death, clinical trials in this population are few and the evidence base is small. The expert recommendations in Heart Disease in Pregnancy, Second Edition, are a welcome source of information for cardiologists, obstetricians, general practitioners, and all members of the patient care team.
It is the practical experience gained in the operating room and on the wards dealing with complications and deviations from the typical or average scenario that matures and fully develops a surgeon. The typical textbook demonstrates the “right” or standard way to do things and the implicit assumption is that if these guidelines are followed then the patient and the surgeon's life will be complication free. Good results come from experience and experience is gained by making mistakes. The goal of this book is to minimize the frequency of surgical complications and maximize the outcome when they do occur by allowing the reader to learn from the operative and clinical experience of those who have gone before so that each generation can collectively stand on the shoulders of the preceding generation without the need to learn from one's own complications. This book is therefore designed less to address indications for operations than how to carry them out and provide postoperative care without complications. While the authors of the various chapters address the correct or right way to perform operations and care for patients after surgery, they have also been tasked to address and emphasize specific dos and don'ts for both intraoperative techniques and postoperative care that will reduce the incidence of complications. As some complications, alas, are inevitable, also addressed are the issues of timely recognition and appropriate treatment of complications when they do occur despite best efforts.