Cardiac Diagnostic Tests: A Guide for Nurses

Introducing the only comprehensive guide to cardiac diagnostics for nurses! This new reference reviews anatomy and physiology, overviews research findings and presents diagnostic tests associated with major forms of cardiac disease. Readers will have a practical, one-stop resource they'll use day after day. Describes procedures in detail and gives rationale for selecting procedures. Describes the diagnostic test, how it is done, how to interpret results, and the patient care required before, during and after the test. Nursing interventions for each procedure and general tips foster better patient preparation and recovery. A quick reference format, clearly written chapters, and a chapter glossary of relevant terms make finding information easy. Provides special emphasis on patient preparation and education, and includes education sheets to help patients prepare themselves for each diagnostic test. Critical pathways incorporating a multidisciplinary approach specifiy which of the diagnostic tests would be most effective in a particular circumstance Illustrations of ECG strips, cines from the catheterization, actual photos of the nuclear medicine scans and anotimc examples increase the reader's understanding Compares different tests so clinicians understand why certain tests are chosen and how they fit into total patient care. An introductory review of basic anatomy and physiology, plus a complete ECG chapter, provide the knowledge essential to understanding arrhythmias and the major forms of cardiac disease.