What text is best for EKG?

[KnuxNole]

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So our physio class is spending the next 8 lectures on EKG physio, and our prof is going at it with intense details. Unfortunately, his powerpoint slides are complete crap and we have to resort to outside resources to learn this material. I've been using BRS Physio for the past few months, but it doesn't seem detailed enough compared to the complicated graphs and tons of details he shows.

What text do you guys reccommend as a supplement for the EKG material? Thanks.

 

[kdburton]

Rapid Interpretation of EKG (dubin) was what I used for our cardiovascular module. You'd have to look at it and make sure it gets into the detail you're expected to know stuff though. I read it in one night and thought it was good. There is lots of repeated information and stupid pictures like in Clinical Micro Made Simple for instance, but it seemed like a good book for really making me learn the basics

 

[PBandJ]

the only EKG book you'll ever need. 👍

 

[Tiger26]

So our physio class is spending the next 8 lectures on EKG physio, and our prof is going at it with intense details. Unfortunately, his powerpoint slides are complete crap and we have to resort to outside resources to learn this material. I've been using BRS Physio for the past few months, but it doesn't seem detailed enough compared to the complicated graphs and tons of details he shows.

What text do you guys reccommend as a supplement for the EKG material? Thanks.

Garcia

http://www.amazon.com/12-Lead-Ecg-I...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246421322&sr=8-1

 

[Jolie South]

I've heard Dubin is the best.

 

[turkeyjerky]

The three I see recommended a lot are Thaler, Garcia and Dubin. Has anyone used all three and know the pros and cons of each?

 

[pingouin]

I think my entire class relied solely on Dubin.

 

[MediumDef]

The three I see recommended a lot are Thaler, Garcia and Dubin. Has anyone used all three and know the pros and cons of each?

I've used Dubin and Garcia and for what it's worth can't stand Dubin. I think it does a decent (not great) job of teaching you how the physiology relates to the components ECG but a terrible job of actually getting you to the point of being able to pick up a 12-lead and comfortably and systematically read through it. Since "The Art of Interpretation" does just as good a job with the physiology and actually teaches you to "read" and ECG I thought it was a far superior book.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

I think my entire class relied solely on Dubin.

My class did the same thing. 😉

OP: Dubin's book is good for getting into EKG's and coming up to speed quickly. Garcia's book has a lot more detail, but it also requires more time to get through.

Google Books has a preview of Garcia's text. You can get an idea of what level of detail it has. Dubin's site has some examples of pages out of his book.

 

[HigHal320]

the only EKG book you'll ever need. 👍

I also like "the only EKG book you'll ever need." It has good explanation on EKG concepts and figures.

 

[Rendar5]

The three I see recommended a lot are Thaler, Garcia and Dubin. Has anyone used all three and know the pros and cons of each?

1. Dubin sucks...and yes, I think the author also does literally suck lol
2. Thaler - awesomer than Dubin. Much awesomer
3. Garcia - the big benefit form thsi book is the practice examples. EKGs are very practice based. The more you do the better you get. I didn't learn from this book. I "learned" from Dubin, then I read Thaler and actually learned EKGS.

4. You dont' need to be learn to read EKGs until your clinical years. Even if your school attempts to teach you teh basics in your pre-clinical years, just learn what they tell you because you really can't understand an EKG until you can correlate it.

 

[GreenMudPhud]

Thaler is very good. I do belive Lilly also has a good EKG section in Pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease.

 

[pseudoknot]

Thaler is very good. I do belive Lilly also has a good EKG section in Pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease.

The Lilly book is probably the second best book I used in the first two years of medical school. It's really amazing. As far as EKGs it explains some of the mechanisms really well but isn't enough by itself to actually learn to read them.

I also didn't much care for the Dubin book. The Garcia book is terrrific and the Thaler book looks good although I've only skimmed it.

 

[diosa428]

I really liked Thaler. I thought Dubin was awful. Definitely flip through Dubin before spending money on it to see if you think it's something you can learn from.

 

[WeenieRoast]

Like Garcia here. 😀

 

[Danimal81]

Dubin is good for the basics. If you really want to get a grip on things, try reading Taigman's Advanced Cardiology In Plain English. It's a good intro into the advanced stuff and explains things in more detail that you might not fully understand from reading Dubin. For example, axis deviation, distinguishing between SVT with aberrancy and v-tach, understanding pre-excitation syndromes more thoroughly, and the effects of some common medications and electrolyte imbalances. Real world stuff that is commonly seen and useful to know.

Dubin was the first book on my shelf. Taigman was the second. It doesn't end there; don't just read one or two books. Reading Dubin is nice because it goes quick, Taigman is also a quick book that easily builds on Dubin, and you'll end up knowing more than your classmates.

 

[mauijim]

i recently purchased "sensible analysis of the 12 lead ecg". its by lewis and handal. very concise and very thorough.. i had never FULLY understood electrocardiology until now..

 

[cbrons]

Dubin is written like a child storybook. Seriously, it was annoying to read. At least it was understandable.

 

[giggle]

Love Dubin. Want to be able to read all sorts of EKG's in 3 days or less? Dubin is it. Lilly is also good.

 

[bomgd3]

I thought Lilly was far better than Dubin. It does a MUCH better job of explaining the concepts rather than just teaching pattern recognition right off the bat. You can easily get through the EKG and arrythmia sections in Lilly in two afternoons.

 

[GraceEuphoria]

I thought Dubin was really good if you had no exposure at all previously. Our school also utilized Goldberger. I never used it, but I heard that once you were ready to go a little more in depth, it was a good option.

 

[nspace]

Dubin reads like a children's book, with flashy colors and gimmicky writing style. BUT, the information is very simply presented and easy to manage.
A good departure from the rest of your medical textbooks. Plus you can burn through it really quick.

And if you're really crunched on time, the summary pages in the back are useful!

 

[mmmcdowe]

Dubin reads like a children's book, with flashy colors and gimmicky writing style. BUT, the information is very simply presented and easy to manage.
A good departure from the rest of your medical textbooks. Plus you can burn through it really quick.

And if you're really crunched on time, the summary pages in the back are useful!

I hear Dubin was really good with the kiddies.

 

[Untraditional]

I hear Dubin was really good with the kiddies.

In all honesty, I think Dubin is a good primer but doesn't confer expertise enough to pass exams.

12 Lead EKG http://12leadecg.com/ is the way to go once you've worked through Dubin.

 

[MCATMAN45]

I highly recommend "The Only EKG Book You'll Ever Need" By Malcom Thaler

Dubin is beneath an MS3 level. It is written like a workbook with fill-in-the-blanks.

Can't comment on Garcia

Other resources:

• learntheheart.com: A great resource. The 100-ekg quiz is really good at honing your skills. Has explanations for each EKG which are great.
• vectorekg.com: Personal plug here. It is a 3D interactive animated EKG written in WebGL that I am working on. It is still in early development, but comments are welcome. If your browser doesn't support it (Google Chrome is best), then try this video for a preview.