Clinical Cardiology Made Ridiculously Simple 5th Edition PDF Download

Awesome! I am so excited about this book. I am only on chapter one, but let me tell you, it is exactly what I was looking for.

Here is my story… I am a new nurse practitioner just starting out in cardiology. I have 9 years of experience as a RN; 6 years of critical care (including open heart surgical and post MI pts) and 3 years in home care. While I have some understanding of cardiology, there is so much I have to learn.

I was searching for a book that could bridge the gap from nursing to advanced practice, but not quite MD level. This is IT! All the books I found prior to this were either over my head or geared toward nursing. I was searching for something in the middle.

I took the time to read the About the Author, Foreward, and Preface. I don’t normally, but I am glad I did. It provides a good background of who wrote this book and why, who would have thought.
I hope you find it as beneficial as I have already.

This book is sure to be different from any you come across. It emphasizes a side of medicine that seems to have been forgotten – the old art, the relic stethoscope, the music of the heart, and the human touch. It stresses humanism and patient care – “hands before scans.” The book is organized by the five finger approach, which includes the history (the thumb), physical examination, electrocardiogram, x-ray, and additional laboratory testing (the pinkie), which is not by coincidence the smallest finger.

The uniqueness of the book comes from Dr. Chizner’s writing style. He approaches challenging topics with simplicity and clarity and describes them to the fullest. This book has all the information you could possibly want on cardiology – how to read electrocardiograms, echocardiography, nuclear medicine, and cardiac catheterization. The newest edition even includes updated guidelines on both hypertension and cholesterol! All these chapters have organized tables, algorithms, and flow charts. For those preparing for boards, there is an amazing cardiovascular pharmacology chapter (antiarrhythmics, antiplatelet agents, etc.). It has drug mechanisms, clinical indications, and side effects. The second half of the book puts it all together, with chapters focusing on coronary artery disease, heart failure, acute pericarditis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and more. Everything is written from a clinician’s perspective, discussing physical findings, appropriate testing, and management. It is easy to read and you will enjoy every page. But the special part of this book comes from the practical clinical knowledge, passed down through the generations. Dr. Chizner shares these valuable tricks of the trade or “cardiac pearls.”

I was introduced to the work of Dr. Chizner when I first started medical school. His books and articles had an enormous impact on me. I spoke with him many times over the phone and eventually decided to do an away rotation with him. My clinical experience with this master clinician was inspirational and uplifting. It is something I will never forget and hope to carry with me as I start residency. He taught through stories, as did his mentor Dr. W Proctor Harvey. Through those stories he brought to life clinical cardiology. Using our basic senses with the aid of the stethoscope and tuning in to the music of the heart can provide valuable clinical information. That is, if we decide to listen. Analogous to picking out instruments when listening to music, cardiac auscultation requires patience, selective tuning, and a love for the art. This is the “fun part of medicine.”

Dr. Harvey defined a cardiac pearl as a fact or finding that either makes a diagnosis or provides a clue that leads to the diagnosis. Like a pearl, it does not lose its luster over time. It is just as helpful today as it was 40 years ago. Dr. Chizner continues the tradition of Dr. Harvey. He is an intermix of a cardiologist – carrying the torch forward for the advancements in diagnostic and therapeutics against heart disease while staying rooted in the art of bedside cardiology. I had a unique opportunity to learn about the lyrics, rhythm, and music of the heart. Trust your ears! They are better than any test.