EKG book?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
B

bkflaneur

Senior Member
10+ Year Member
5+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2005
Messages
184
Reaction score
0
Sorry if this has come up a lot. But does anyone have a good book or website for practicing/understanding EKGs? The Dubin book has never clicked for me.
Members don't see this ad.
 
We used "ECG Workout: Excercises in Arrhythmia Interpretation" by Jane Huff in my medic class (that's been a few years ago). It's aimed at the nursing/allied health crowd so it doesn't go through axis deviation or hypertrophy or any of those more advanced EKG interpretations. It does, however, have straightforward explanations of the bread-and-butter EKGs (normal rhythms up through bundle-branch blocks) and something like 550 practice strips that help you get comfortable reading the usual suspects (and reading strips is how you'll really learn it anyway).

Maybe try this book, or something similar, and then go back to Dubin.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I also used this book for my undergrad at Rutgers University taught by a PA that teaches PA and Medical Students at UMDNJ - RWJMS. Great book. I say its much better than the any other EKG books. Its information will be goo enough for you all the way up to residency. But if you are going into Cardiology, you will need more.

DragonWell said:
"The Only EKG Book You'll Ever Need" was a quick and relatively painless read that covered everything you need for MS1&2.
Click to expand...
 
Captain Fantastic said:
We used "ECG Workout: Excercises in Arrhythmia Interpretation" by Jane Huff in my medic class (that's been a few years ago). It's aimed at the nursing/allied health crowd so it doesn't go through axis deviation or hypertrophy or any of those more advanced EKG interpretations
Click to expand...

Umm, I'm not sure what year you are in medical school, but you *do* need to learn this stuff in medical school, so it's important to get used to the stuff right away, rather than start off slow with something designed for nurses or EMT's-- you are after all training to be the captain of the ship. My personal philosophy is to learn things correctly the first time. When your attending says, "Tell me about his EKG", the first things out of your mouth should be the rate, rhythm, and axis... and if you don't know how to find the axis, you're SOL. As an aside, even though you can figure out how to recognize a LBBB, knowing the ominous significance of a new-onset LBBB is a lot more valuable and will help you remember it.

Dubin's is excellent- it's a 'programmed course' so you can kind of go at your own pace. It definitely has all the basics though. I also found this quick and dirty guide useful:

http://students.med.nyu.edu/erclub/ekgguide.pdf
 
Dubin's a kid toucher (http://scrubnotes.blogspot.com/2007/09/dale-dubin-pornography-and-prison.html) but I did enjoy his book.

I personally don't see anything "wrong" with starting with a tech/nursing manual to learn the basics. It's relatively easy to add stuff on top like Axis (very easy with the Leads I/AVF method) and Hypertrophy (don't memorize all the criteria for borderline caes, that's for cardiologists, you should be able to recognize whopping examples just by looking at the precordial leads).
 
anon-y-mouse said:
you *do* need to learn this stuff in medical school
Click to expand...

I recognize this, which is why I point out that these things are not included in the book I suggested and I ended my post saying the OP would need to come back to something more comprehensive.

Anyway, I still stand by my recommendation that if the OP can't grasp Dubin it might be time to take it down a notch, learn the basics, get some confidence and then tackle the more challenging concepts.
 
Captain Fantastic said:
Anyway, I still stand by my recommendation that if the OP can't grasp Dubin it might be time to take it down a notch, learn the basics, get some confidence and then tackle the more challenging concepts.
Click to expand...

lol....Dubin's book is already easy mode (I'm saying this in a good way).
 
Captain Fantastic said:
Anyway, I still stand by my recommendation that if the OP can't grasp Dubin it might be time to take it down a notch, learn the basics, get some confidence and then tackle the more challenging concepts.
Click to expand...

I always found Dubin ridiculously easy to grasp? I mean that's the whole point of his book and why it was so widely successful. I don't see how any med student (or anyone I guess) would have a problem with the Dubin book, but if I am over-assuming, let me know...
 
anon-y-mouse said:
I always found Dubin ridiculously easy to grasp? I mean that's the whole point of his book and why it was so widely successful. I don't see how any med student (or anyone I guess) would have a problem with the Dubin book, but if I am over-assuming, let me know...
Click to expand...
Well, when you look at the OP where it says "the Dubin book has never clicked for me"... yeah, I think it's a reasonable alternative to suggest other texts that may provide a different presentation/explanation that's better suited to that person's learning style.
 
Captain Fantastic said:
Anyway, I still stand by my recommendation that if the OP can't grasp Dubin it might be time to take it down a notch, learn the basics, get some confidence and then tackle the more challenging concepts.
Click to expand...

It's not so much that Dubin's book is too complicated. I just really don't like it's style - I get impatient with the fill in the blanks and can't get myself to read it. So I wanted something written in a different style. I think I'm fine with the basics (rate, rhythm, axis). But I'd like a good book that I can use through 4th year and some of residency. I'm going to check out The Only EKG Book You'll Ever Need at the library tomorrow. Thanks for the ideas.
 
Last edited:
Rapid Interpretation by Dubin seems to be the book that most residents I've talked to seem to agree upon.
 
I read Dubin's book as well. Yes it looks like its geared towards 5th graders, but the whole point of all the repetition, cover-uncover answers, and pictures is to try to get you to remember it in one read through. We didn't have a book recommended to us in our cardiovascular module, but I bought it after having it recommended to me by a 4th year student. I read the whole thing in just a couple hours one day and a couple hours the next and my understanding was on par with, and in some cases in excess of, what was expected of us in the class. I'm sure there are some better books out there, but I definitely learned how to RAPIDLY INTERPRET EKG 😀
 
I can't decide which book is best. I've heard mixed reviews. What is the best book to buy if I need to learn this stuff quickly? (at least all the basics)
 
Well to understand the basics, I used "THE ECG MADE EASY" by Hampton (a Churchill-Livingstone publication) and I was quite satisfied with it. But once I get to Internal Medicine, I might get something a bit more detailed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

mjl1717
EKG terms.
Replies
6
Views
652
mjl1717
mjl1717
D
MD & DO What does each each QRS deflection mean in each lead?
Replies
0
Views
507
D1f3r3nt
D
M
Anyone who loved physiology, pharmacology, labs, ekgs, etc that went into radiology anyway?
Replies
10
Views
1K
HuskyMD Emeritus
H
M
  • Locked
Abnormal EKG?
Replies
1
Views
569
GoSpursGo
GoSpursGo
M
EKG Query
Replies
7
Views
810
Quantal Reasoning
Quantal Reasoning
Top