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Cardiac catheterization and angiocardiography in severe neonatal heart disease
Book reviews
Physique
By G. Duboucher, 464 pages.
Cardiovasculaire.
Masson
& Cie, Editeurs,
Paris,
1974,
This is a very fine review of the physical and hemodynamic principles and forces related to the heart and circulation. Those who have neglected to learn the forces involved in maintaining the circulation and the influence of gravity on the circulation will find this book to be extremely valuable. The author clearly presents in French the hemodynamic principles related to the entire circulation. Unfortunately, those who wish to study the subject in greater detail will find the bibliography to be inadequate. These principles have been amply discussed in the medical literature in the past, and this book summarizes them very well. The book should interest physiologists and physicians who are interested in hemodynamic phenomena of the circulation. The book is highly recommended. Cardiac Neonatal
Catheterization Heart Disease. R. Vincent, M.
William Thomas,
Publisher,
and
Angiocardiography
in
Severe
Bv Michael T. Gvenes. M. D.. and D.; Springfield, Ill:, i974, Charles C 183 pages. Price $14.50.
This book, as the title indicates, is concerned with the study of patients with severe neonatal heart disease. Doctors Gyepes and Vincent indicate their approach to the problems. The methods they use in preparing patients for study are described in a lucid manner with reasons to support their practices. The equipment, procedures, and care employed with these delicate sick patients are emphasized. The principles of management of these extremely hazardous diseases and studies are presented for the cardiac pediatricians and radiologists who study and care for patients with serious cardiac disease. Heart
Disease
and
Pregnancy.
Snaith, Edinburgh and 217 pages. Price $24.50.
London,
By Paul Szekely 1974, Churchill
and Linton Livingstone,
This book is briefly written and is concerned with an important, much neglected problem in cardiology and obstetrics. Unfortunately, the authors have been concerned more with statistical material than with the more pragmatic clinical problems of how to manage the heart disease in pregnancy. For example, the precise treatment for a patient who is in acute pulmonary edema and in labor is difficult for physicians and obstetricians alike. Furthermore, what is done when a patient consults his physician at 6 to 12 weeks pregnancy and presents with Ebstein’s disease? Or what are the recommendations for a patient who needs, for obstetrical reasons, a Caesarian section and is in congestive heart failure from rheumatic heart disease with mitral stenosis? These and numerous other similar problems confront the cardiologist on whom the obstetrician depends for advice. The type of anesthetics best for patients, the handling of serious tachyarrhythmias during labor, and many other situations have received little consideration by the authors, whereas isolated reports of statistics have received considerable emphasis. Nevertheless, because of the lack of recent reports on this important subject, cardiologists will find useful information in this book. And, as the authors have relied upon the book of Burwell and Metcalfe (1957) extensively, cardiologists will want to restudy that book even though it is over 15 years old. Szekely and Snaith have written a useful small book. It is hoped the second
American
Heart
Journal
edition will contain much more practical clinical therapeutic information and recommendations. Nevertheless, this is a very good book for cardiologists, internists, and obstetricians. Cardiac Mechanics: Physiological, Considerations. Edited by Israel
Clinical
and
Mirsky. Ph.J)., Ghista. Ph.D., and Harold Sandler, M.D., New John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 490 pages.
Mathematical
Dhanjoo N. York. 1974,
The fundamental function of the heart is mechanical, i.e., to pump blood around the body. It is generally accepted that it is an unusually efficient and excellent pump, one which man has not yet succeeded in duplicating. The many contributors to this book have discussed the basic principles of cardiac mechanics including functional aspects of ultrastructural morphology. The biochemical basis for contraction and the relationship of heart size to its work are among the many problems presented. The mechanics for heart failure are also presented. It is not made clear that although congestive heart failure resides in disease and malfunction of the heart. many extracardiac factors are set into motion to produce the entire clinical picture. This is a good book, however. It is provocative and clearly indicates many gaps in knowledge. The methods used in studying heart size and the time courses of volume change and shape change are extremely crude bot,h for clinical and experimental purposes. An engineer of hydraulics and mechanics should find this book interesting. The original data, recordings, and publications reveal many difficulties yet t.o be resolved concerning cardiac mechanics. This is a good hook for the bioengineer to launch his deliberations and studies. The
York,
Sick
Sinus
1974. Futura
Syndrome.
Publishing
By
M. Irene Company.
Ferrer, M.D., t’ril‘e $1:1.50.
New
Dr. Ferrer has produced an interesting and important book on an electrophysiologic syndrome which is fairly common and hazardous. The book contains brief discussions of SA node (SAN) anatomy and normal and abnormal function. There always are opinions that differ concerning any clinical 01 electrocardiographic problem. For example. the discussions on exit block on page 65 are quite arbitrary. Even the precise definition of exit block seems to be loosely used in cardiology today. Without more precise recording of elrct,ric activity within the SAN itself, exit block becomes a state that, is difficult to recognize from the electrocardiogram. It is conceiv. able that concealed conduction can exist ill the SAN. ‘l’hc node must develop problems related to refractoriness. The exact. mechanisms by which the SAN generates impulses and “fires” are little understood. Furthermore, it must be rrmem. bered that a tracing of intracellular action potential is obtained from an injured cell. a cell injured by the recording procedure. A healthy living cell is an extremely delicate structure. And, what about the parts of the cells near the recording intracellular microelectrode? These are among the many interesting questions related to electro~~ardiography and the sick sinus syndrome (SSS). This is a highly recommended book written by a competent author who has been interested in SSS for some t,ime. Thoughtful readina of this book can be extremely stimulating. The more thoughtfully tile book is read the more questions come to mind, especially present-day ideas of interpretation, management, and prognosis of SSS and the like. Ferrer develops her book so nicely that studying it is satisfying and thought-provoking.
541
Physique
By G. Duboucher, 464 pages.
Cardiovasculaire.
Masson
& Cie, Editeurs,
Paris,
1974,
This is a very fine review of the physical and hemodynamic principles and forces related to the heart and circulation. Those who have neglected to learn the forces involved in maintaining the circulation and the influence of gravity on the circulation will find this book to be extremely valuable. The author clearly presents in French the hemodynamic principles related to the entire circulation. Unfortunately, those who wish to study the subject in greater detail will find the bibliography to be inadequate. These principles have been amply discussed in the medical literature in the past, and this book summarizes them very well. The book should interest physiologists and physicians who are interested in hemodynamic phenomena of the circulation. The book is highly recommended. Cardiac Neonatal
Catheterization Heart Disease. R. Vincent, M.
William Thomas,
Publisher,
and
Angiocardiography
in
Severe
Bv Michael T. Gvenes. M. D.. and D.; Springfield, Ill:, i974, Charles C 183 pages. Price $14.50.
This book, as the title indicates, is concerned with the study of patients with severe neonatal heart disease. Doctors Gyepes and Vincent indicate their approach to the problems. The methods they use in preparing patients for study are described in a lucid manner with reasons to support their practices. The equipment, procedures, and care employed with these delicate sick patients are emphasized. The principles of management of these extremely hazardous diseases and studies are presented for the cardiac pediatricians and radiologists who study and care for patients with serious cardiac disease. Heart
Disease
and
Pregnancy.
Snaith, Edinburgh and 217 pages. Price $24.50.
London,
By Paul Szekely 1974, Churchill
and Linton Livingstone,
This book is briefly written and is concerned with an important, much neglected problem in cardiology and obstetrics. Unfortunately, the authors have been concerned more with statistical material than with the more pragmatic clinical problems of how to manage the heart disease in pregnancy. For example, the precise treatment for a patient who is in acute pulmonary edema and in labor is difficult for physicians and obstetricians alike. Furthermore, what is done when a patient consults his physician at 6 to 12 weeks pregnancy and presents with Ebstein’s disease? Or what are the recommendations for a patient who needs, for obstetrical reasons, a Caesarian section and is in congestive heart failure from rheumatic heart disease with mitral stenosis? These and numerous other similar problems confront the cardiologist on whom the obstetrician depends for advice. The type of anesthetics best for patients, the handling of serious tachyarrhythmias during labor, and many other situations have received little consideration by the authors, whereas isolated reports of statistics have received considerable emphasis. Nevertheless, because of the lack of recent reports on this important subject, cardiologists will find useful information in this book. And, as the authors have relied upon the book of Burwell and Metcalfe (1957) extensively, cardiologists will want to restudy that book even though it is over 15 years old. Szekely and Snaith have written a useful small book. It is hoped the second
American
Heart
Journal
edition will contain much more practical clinical therapeutic information and recommendations. Nevertheless, this is a very good book for cardiologists, internists, and obstetricians. Cardiac Mechanics: Physiological, Considerations. Edited by Israel
Clinical
and
Mirsky. Ph.J)., Ghista. Ph.D., and Harold Sandler, M.D., New John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 490 pages.
Mathematical
Dhanjoo N. York. 1974,
The fundamental function of the heart is mechanical, i.e., to pump blood around the body. It is generally accepted that it is an unusually efficient and excellent pump, one which man has not yet succeeded in duplicating. The many contributors to this book have discussed the basic principles of cardiac mechanics including functional aspects of ultrastructural morphology. The biochemical basis for contraction and the relationship of heart size to its work are among the many problems presented. The mechanics for heart failure are also presented. It is not made clear that although congestive heart failure resides in disease and malfunction of the heart. many extracardiac factors are set into motion to produce the entire clinical picture. This is a good book, however. It is provocative and clearly indicates many gaps in knowledge. The methods used in studying heart size and the time courses of volume change and shape change are extremely crude bot,h for clinical and experimental purposes. An engineer of hydraulics and mechanics should find this book interesting. The original data, recordings, and publications reveal many difficulties yet t.o be resolved concerning cardiac mechanics. This is a good hook for the bioengineer to launch his deliberations and studies. The
York,
Sick
Sinus
1974. Futura
Syndrome.
Publishing
By
M. Irene Company.
Ferrer, M.D., t’ril‘e $1:1.50.
New
Dr. Ferrer has produced an interesting and important book on an electrophysiologic syndrome which is fairly common and hazardous. The book contains brief discussions of SA node (SAN) anatomy and normal and abnormal function. There always are opinions that differ concerning any clinical 01 electrocardiographic problem. For example. the discussions on exit block on page 65 are quite arbitrary. Even the precise definition of exit block seems to be loosely used in cardiology today. Without more precise recording of elrct,ric activity within the SAN itself, exit block becomes a state that, is difficult to recognize from the electrocardiogram. It is conceiv. able that concealed conduction can exist ill the SAN. ‘l’hc node must develop problems related to refractoriness. The exact. mechanisms by which the SAN generates impulses and “fires” are little understood. Furthermore, it must be rrmem. bered that a tracing of intracellular action potential is obtained from an injured cell. a cell injured by the recording procedure. A healthy living cell is an extremely delicate structure. And, what about the parts of the cells near the recording intracellular microelectrode? These are among the many interesting questions related to electro~~ardiography and the sick sinus syndrome (SSS). This is a highly recommended book written by a competent author who has been interested in SSS for some t,ime. Thoughtful readina of this book can be extremely stimulating. The more thoughtfully tile book is read the more questions come to mind, especially present-day ideas of interpretation, management, and prognosis of SSS and the like. Ferrer develops her book so nicely that studying it is satisfying and thought-provoking.
541