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This book analyzes the main topics of Palliative Care in Cardiac Intensive Care Units (CICU), from the changing epidemiology of patients admitted to the ICU, to the main clinical and ethical issues. The changing epidemiology of patients has led to new and emerging patient needs at the end of life. Care has shifted from acute coronary syndrome patients towards elderly patients, with a high prevalence of non-ischemic cardiovascular diseases and a high burden of non-cardiovascular comorbid conditions: both increase the susceptibility of patients to developing life-threatening critical conditions. These conditions are associated with a significant symptom burden, high mortality rate, and increased length of stay. The main new challenges involve shared decision-making, symptom control (pain, dyspnea, etc.), and ethical issues (withholding/withdrawing life sustaining treatments, deactivation of implanted cardiac devices, palliative sedation), all of which necessitate formal education on end-of-life care. Written by opinion leaders in their respective fields, who share their experience with improving the cultural and clinical competence of medical/nursing teams, this volume is chiefly intended for cardiologists, anesthesiologists, palliative care doctors and nursing staff.

This book combines clear explanatory text with a wealth of images of ECG recordings in order to provide an accessible, up-to-date source of information and guide to interpretation for all professionals seeking to increase their expertise in electrocardiography. ECG results are presented and discussed for a wide range of conditions, including all forms of arrhythmia, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, bundle branch blocks, ischemic cardiomyopathy, atrial and ventricular enlargement, pericardial and myocardial diseases, diseases of the pulmonary circulation, and post pacemaker implantation. Normal ECG findings are fully described, and helpful introductory information is included on the principles of electrophysiology. The practically oriented text accompanying the ECG recordings covers both electrophysiological and clinical aspects.More than 100 years after its first use by Willem Einthoven, electrocardiography continues to be the first diagnostic tool applied in most cardiac patients. This text atlas provides a sound basis for the correct ECG interpretation essential for appropriate patient management.

L'evoluzione della Cardiologia ha avuto negli ultimi decenni una impressionante accelerazione, grazie al progresso tecnologico. Tuttavia l'elettrocardiografia, grazie alla sua semplicità di esecuzione, alla sua facile ripetibilità e soprattutto alle correlazioni clinico-patologiche che la sottendono, mantiene intatta tutta la sua capacità diagnostica, ad oltre cento anni di distanza dal suo primo utilizzo da parte di Einthoven. Lo studio delle aritmie, delle varie fasi della cardiopatia ischemica acuta e cronica, in particolare in corso di angioplastica coronarica, dell'effetto dei farmaci sul cuore, dell'impegno emodinamico nel contesto di malattie valvolari, del miocardio o di ipertensione arteriosa non possono prescindere da una conoscenza approfondita dell'elettrocardiografia. E'in assoluto il primo strumento diagnostico utilizzato nell'approccio al paziente cardiopatico o sospetto tale; da una corretta analisi elettrocardiografica, spesso in condizioni critiche, discende una corretta impostazione diagnostico-terapeutica e conseguentemente una riduzione del margine di errore. Il testo, dopo un'introduzione dedicata ai principi di elettrofisiologia, offre un'ampia e documentata iconografia, accompagnata da brevi ed esaustivi commenti elettrofisiologici e clinico-patologici.