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.

Table of contents

Introduction to ECGs

1 Introduction to ECG monitoring

2 Principles of ECG monitoring

3 Six stage approach to ECG interpretation

4 Sinus tachycardia

5 Sinus bradycardia

6 Sinus arrhythmia

7 Atrial ectopic beats

8 Atrial tachycardia

9 Atrial flutter

10 Atrial fibrillation

11 AV junctional ectopics

12 AV junctional escape rhythm

13 Junctional tachycardia

14 Ventricular ectopics

15 Idioventricular rhythm

16 Ventricular tachycardia

17 Torsades de pointes

18 First degree AV block

19 Second degree AV block Mobitz Type I (Wenckebach Phenomenon)

20 Second degree AV block Mobitz Type II

21 Third degree (complete) AV block

22 Ventricular fibrillation

23 Ventricular standstill

24 Asystole

25 Recording a 12-lead ECG

26 What the standard 12 lead ECG records

27 Interpretation of a 12 lead ECG

28 Changes associated with myocardial infarction

29 ECG changes associated with myocardial ischaemia

30 ECG changes associated with left bundle branch block

31 Wolff–Parkinson–White (WPW) Syndrome

Appendix 1 Resuscitation Council UK Bradycardia algorithm

Appendix 2 Resuscitation Council UK Tachycardia algorithm

Appendix 3 Resuscitation Council UK ALS Algorithm

Appendix 4 Vagal manoeuvres

Appendix 5 Synchronised electrical cardioversion

Appendix 6 External (transcutaneous) pacing

Appendix 7 Procedure for transcutaneous pacing

Appendix 8 Definitions

Phil Jevon is Honorary Clinical Lecturer at Birmingham Medical School and Academy Manager/Tutor Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, Manor Hospital, Walsall, UK. Jayant Gupta is Consultant Cardiologist, Senior Academy Tutor Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, Manor Hospital, Walsall, UK.