The Human Heart: A Basic Guide to Heart Disease [Paperback]

Brendan Phibbs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 26, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0781767776 | ISBN-13: 978-0781767774 | Edition: Second

This basic text on the heart and heart diseases is geared to everyone on the cardiovascular care team, including emergency personnel, interns, residents, nurses, patients, and families. The thoroughly updated Second Edition describes current technologies for noninvasive diagnosis and treatment of coronary and vascular disease. Coverage includes a complete description of echocardiographic stress testing and new information on implanted defibrillators, indications for coronary arteriography, new drugs for heart failure, new cardiac resuscitation procedures, and use of ventricular synchronizing pacemakers. Also included are discussions of recently discovered lethal entities such as Brugada's syndrome, short QT syndrome, and the arrhythmogenic ventricle.

Editorial Reviews

Review

MedicalScienceBooks.com -- "The author's years of experience as a clinician and teacher show throughout the book. One can imagine the text developing from a long list of 'frequently asked questions' posed by his patients and students. The text also reflects a deep understanding of how to avoid confusion while explaining complex physiological processes. The book uses terms to which nearly any reader can relate. This makes it an excellent primer on heart disease for medical personnel as well as comprehensive reference guide for patients who want to be better informed about their disease and treatment."-MedicalScienceBooks.com

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Second edition (January 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0781767776
• ISBN-13: 978-0781767774
• Product Dimensions: 0.5 x 8.2 x 10.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,171,303 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for New Cardiac Care Professionals, April 11, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Chandler, Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Human Heart: A Basic Guide to Heart Disease (Paperback)

I had an opportunity to purchase and read Dr. Phibbs' latest text, "The Human Heart: A Basic Guide to Heart Disease," about a year ago. I was impressed with the breadth of the commentary and the organization of the material. I work in the pharmaceutical industry and I read many technical and instructive materials. Dr. Phibbs' explanations and diagrams were pristine and useful and had helped me to broaden my cardiovascular vocabulary to discuss cardiac complications more clearly. I have recommended this book to others in the industry.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So clear even a layman can understand, March 27, 2010

By 

D. King (Federal Way, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Human Heart: A Basic Guide to Heart Disease (Paperback)

My spouse is a heart patient and I've been trying to find meaningful explanations of what's going on. I am not a medical professional. I had purchased another book (Cardiovascular Care Made Incredibly Easy, 2nd Ed) that went mostly over my head. This book explains basic heart function, disease, and treatment (including specific medications) in terms that anybody can understand. It has exceeded my expectations.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars [...] Book Review, May 21, 2010

By 

E. Russo - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Human Heart: A Basic Guide to Heart Disease (Paperback)

The Human Heart: A Basic Guide to Heart Disease 2nd Edition
By: Brendan Phibbs MD
Wolters Kluwer/ Lippincott Williams and Wilkins

There has been a growing need for jargon-free medical literature which is both easily comprehended and accessible to the non-expert. In part, this need has arisen over the past several decades in response to the increased recognition of patients as equal partners in healthcare decisions. However, medical students and professionals can also benefit from clearly written texts without extraneous detail or use of esoteric terminology as they are often presented with vast amounts of material to learn in a short time. As a rule, we would expect any single resource, no matter how well written, to fail in serving both audiences effectively. The Human Heart: A Basic Guide to Heart Disease 2nd Edition is a notable exception.

Brendan Phibbs has created a resource that distills the core knowledge of cardiology into highly readable chapters with simple diagrammatic aids to ensure understanding. Each chapter is short and concise. For example, the opening chapters which cover the basic structure of the heart are written from a functional perspective without extensive anatomical detail. The majority of the book is devoted to cardiac pathophysiology and diagnostic techniques. For a reference that is little over 200 pages in length, there is an admirable amount of practical information on topics ranging from pharmaceutical therapy options for coronary artery disease to the latest information on arrhythmia management.

Of great importance to the lay reader is a presentation of the most effective method of cardiopulmonary resuscitation developed by colleagues of the author. This method differs fundamentally from prior standards but the rationale for the changes that are advocated is clearly set forth.

The author's years of experience as a clinician and teacher show throughout the book. One can imagine the text developing from a long list of "frequently asked questions" posed by his patients and students. The text also reflects a deep understanding of how to avoid confusion while explaining complex physiological processes. The book uses terms to which nearly any reader can relate. This makes it an excellent primer on heart disease for medical personnel as well as comprehensive reference guide for patients who want to be better informed about their disease and treatment.

Reviewed by: Joseph V. Russo, M.S.