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Trends in computer processed electrocardiograms
BOOK REVIEWS
497
implementation in most high level languages. In particular I liked the comprehensive listing of references provided on a chapter by chapter basis. This book is well worth having on your reference shelf; it may well match your teaching course, in which case you are fortunate in having such a well presented course textbook to recommend to your students. B. H. RUDALL
Medical Records, ed. by B. Benjamin, William Heinemann Medical Books Ltd, London, 1977, pp. xii t 235. Price: E6.75.
This is not a critique of medical records but a basic textbook and, as such, it succeeds admirably. There are numerous misprints throughout the text but they are minor and obvious and so relatively unimportant. The various authors, including the editor himself, who has written several chapters, blend in nicely with one another and so the book is not, on the whole, difficult to read. The main criticism I would offer in this respect is that rather heavy weather is made of the section on hospital statistics and the chief effect is to dazzle the reader with algebraic symbols rather than clarify the usefulness and significance of the indices in question. To me the most controversial chapter concerned medical audit and the implications here will cause a few raised eyebrows among medical readers. Otherwise, however, I thought the comment was generally intelligent, fair, noncontroversial and often illuminating. Before anyone starts revealing his own inspired plans for changing medical information systems he should read this book. It might stop a few systems analysts in their tracks which would be a major blessing in itself. J. H. MITCHELL
Trends in Computer Processed Electrocardiograms, ed. by J. H. van Bemmel and J. L. Willems, North Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1977, 430 pp. Price : USS46.95.
This book represents the proceedings of the IFIP TC-4 Working Conference on Trends in Computer Processed Electrocardiograms. The Workshop was sponsored by the EEC, a fact which was largely responsible for bringing together most, if not all, of the most active workers in the field at a three-day meeting in Amsterdam in November, 1976. The proceedings were published early in 1977 and provide the most up-to-date reference on this topic.
498
BOOK REVIEWS
The papers are published in the photo offset litho style but this does not in any way detract from the quality of the contributions. Part 1 of the book deals with computerised ECG monitoring which includes both analogue and digital methods. The contributions represent reports on the work in individual laboratories and are not in any way structured. Ambulatory monitoring is also discussed in brief. There are good discussion sections which were all edited by the speakers within hours of their presentation so that the commentary is faithfully recorded. The next session deals with computer analysis of routine ECGs and is the largest section in the book. There are contributions from the authors of most, if not all, of the well known routinely used programs. It is worth noting that representatives of the major vendors of ECG interpretation packages were prepared to discuss their methods and submit them for publication! In this section, too, there are excellent discussion sections. For the first time in any publication there is a collection of papers dealing with analysis of serially recorded ECGs and this will be of interest to many. The pros and cons of first versus second generation programs are also aired, as is the comparative value of 3 and 12 lead ECG systems. The final section of the book deals with computer analysis of exercise ECGs and again there are contributions from most of the leading authorities in this area. It is clear from this section that there are no agreed standards for interpretation of exercise ECGs although the contributions from the Dutch/Belgian team represent a major study in the application of a three orthogonal lead system to exercise electrocardiography. At the end of each section there is a short summary of the main points with selected recommendations for future developments. It will be interesting to see how many are ultimately accepted. This is an expensive book and not one to be read casually by a physician with a passing interest in electrocardiography. Rather it is a valuable reference book for the expert in this field and perhaps for those interested in the general area of signal processing. In conclusion, the book is highly recommended for those actively involved in the computer processing of electrocardiograms. P. W. MACFARLANE
Informatics and Medicine: An Advanced Course, ed. by P. L. Reichertz and G. Goos. (No. 3 in the series Medizinische Informatik und Statistik), Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg and New York, 1977, pp. 712. Price: US$26.40.
I am not clear whether this book is a by-product of a ‘real’ advanced course on the subject-in riro, so to speak-or whether it is intended simply as an instructional textbook (in vitro); no matter, because the end product is the same. Nowadays one
497
implementation in most high level languages. In particular I liked the comprehensive listing of references provided on a chapter by chapter basis. This book is well worth having on your reference shelf; it may well match your teaching course, in which case you are fortunate in having such a well presented course textbook to recommend to your students. B. H. RUDALL
Medical Records, ed. by B. Benjamin, William Heinemann Medical Books Ltd, London, 1977, pp. xii t 235. Price: E6.75.
This is not a critique of medical records but a basic textbook and, as such, it succeeds admirably. There are numerous misprints throughout the text but they are minor and obvious and so relatively unimportant. The various authors, including the editor himself, who has written several chapters, blend in nicely with one another and so the book is not, on the whole, difficult to read. The main criticism I would offer in this respect is that rather heavy weather is made of the section on hospital statistics and the chief effect is to dazzle the reader with algebraic symbols rather than clarify the usefulness and significance of the indices in question. To me the most controversial chapter concerned medical audit and the implications here will cause a few raised eyebrows among medical readers. Otherwise, however, I thought the comment was generally intelligent, fair, noncontroversial and often illuminating. Before anyone starts revealing his own inspired plans for changing medical information systems he should read this book. It might stop a few systems analysts in their tracks which would be a major blessing in itself. J. H. MITCHELL
Trends in Computer Processed Electrocardiograms, ed. by J. H. van Bemmel and J. L. Willems, North Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1977, 430 pp. Price : USS46.95.
This book represents the proceedings of the IFIP TC-4 Working Conference on Trends in Computer Processed Electrocardiograms. The Workshop was sponsored by the EEC, a fact which was largely responsible for bringing together most, if not all, of the most active workers in the field at a three-day meeting in Amsterdam in November, 1976. The proceedings were published early in 1977 and provide the most up-to-date reference on this topic.
498
BOOK REVIEWS
The papers are published in the photo offset litho style but this does not in any way detract from the quality of the contributions. Part 1 of the book deals with computerised ECG monitoring which includes both analogue and digital methods. The contributions represent reports on the work in individual laboratories and are not in any way structured. Ambulatory monitoring is also discussed in brief. There are good discussion sections which were all edited by the speakers within hours of their presentation so that the commentary is faithfully recorded. The next session deals with computer analysis of routine ECGs and is the largest section in the book. There are contributions from the authors of most, if not all, of the well known routinely used programs. It is worth noting that representatives of the major vendors of ECG interpretation packages were prepared to discuss their methods and submit them for publication! In this section, too, there are excellent discussion sections. For the first time in any publication there is a collection of papers dealing with analysis of serially recorded ECGs and this will be of interest to many. The pros and cons of first versus second generation programs are also aired, as is the comparative value of 3 and 12 lead ECG systems. The final section of the book deals with computer analysis of exercise ECGs and again there are contributions from most of the leading authorities in this area. It is clear from this section that there are no agreed standards for interpretation of exercise ECGs although the contributions from the Dutch/Belgian team represent a major study in the application of a three orthogonal lead system to exercise electrocardiography. At the end of each section there is a short summary of the main points with selected recommendations for future developments. It will be interesting to see how many are ultimately accepted. This is an expensive book and not one to be read casually by a physician with a passing interest in electrocardiography. Rather it is a valuable reference book for the expert in this field and perhaps for those interested in the general area of signal processing. In conclusion, the book is highly recommended for those actively involved in the computer processing of electrocardiograms. P. W. MACFARLANE
Informatics and Medicine: An Advanced Course, ed. by P. L. Reichertz and G. Goos. (No. 3 in the series Medizinische Informatik und Statistik), Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg and New York, 1977, pp. 712. Price: US$26.40.
I am not clear whether this book is a by-product of a ‘real’ advanced course on the subject-in riro, so to speak-or whether it is intended simply as an instructional textbook (in vitro); no matter, because the end product is the same. Nowadays one