Download Cardiology in a Heartbeat (Vaswani)
2nd Edition Easily In PDF Format For Free
We would like to thank everyone for their overwhelming support and love for the first edition of
Cardiology in a Heartbeat.
The rapidity with which the field has progressed, with new evidence and randomised controlled
trials being added weekly, has only intensified in the years following our first edition.
This is a scary proposition for many students, and we remember being similarly overwhelmed
when we were students.
In the first edition of Cardiology in a Heartbeat we based many of the topics around tutorials,
and the demand and love for the content has only strengthened the work moving forward.
To that end, we have attempted to summarise the latest RCTs and evidence into manageable
formats, with key takeaways for the time-strapped medical student. We hope you find this
useful in your studies this year.
The core principles of the book have not changed, and rest on three key pillars:
1. To our knowledge, there was huge demand for information presented in this format
We are very passionate about ensuring that students learn the material in an enjoyable way.
Personally, we love the field because it combines sound physiological principles with
practical hands-on intervention.
2. We want to encourage students to pursue a career in cardiovascular medicine
Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the developed world. More than seven
million people die from heart attacks each year. In addition to having a good grasp of
cardiology (because of the sheer number of patients affected), we want to encourage the
best and brightest to enter this field to develop novel therapies and conduct what will
hopefully be ground-breaking research. In some small way, we hope that our book makes
cardiology that little bit more attractive to study and motivates students to consider the field.
3. Giving back
We joined medicine to help others, and to give back. In addition to encouraging the next
generation of medical students, we also wanted to help raise funds for Vaccinaid
(www.vaccinaid.org) to help against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and the fallout
expected thereafter. We encourage you to care for yourselves, as you in turn care for others
during this time.
Whence you are called to sacrifice;
In your life and in your art,
Though trouble and toil may pile on high;
Serve with all your heart
To that end, we wish you the very best in your clinical rotations and we hope this text serves as
a useful tool that allows you to excel in cardiology, gain a greater appreciation for the subject
and serve your patients to the best of your ability.
A.V., H.J.K., S.D., A. El-M.
Foreword to the First Edition
Cardiology in a Heartbeat is a remarkable and impressive achievement. It is remarkable by any
standard for the clarity of its presentation, superb illustration and succinct summaries with key
points highlighting the essentials of cardiology.
It is designed to fulfil the needs of medical students across a spectrum, with highlighted ‘pro-tip’
boxes for those who want to know more and tackle more in-depth examination questions. The
key information is also linked to the latest guideline recommendations – an important feature as
questions in the medical school curriculum tend to test knowledge on these essential points.
Furthermore, Cardiology in a Heartbeat is designed and written for medical students primarily
by medical students – encompassing a major collaborative effort between twenty medical
student chapter contributors and eighteen senior clinicians and illustrators with excellent
structure and editorial oversight.
I believe that this publication will succeed in the electronic era because there is still a need for a
summary of the essentials of cardiology for modern medical students. This is the era of
information overload, and web searches do not necessarily help a student keep perspective as
to what is truly relevant.
One might think of this book as the equivalent of an amalgam of notes of the very best students
– it is certainly better than the handouts of some lecturers!
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to extend their thanks to our team of students and physicians for their
hard work and dedication in bringing this project to life. We are also grateful to Mr Vipin Zamvar
and Professor Chim Lang for painstakingly looking through the entire book for us. We would
also like to extend our gratitude to Dr Nicholas Mills, Dr Neal Uren and Professor Keith Fox for
their advice and direction.
We would also like to thank Dr Jonathan Ray, Mr Simon Watkins and Ms Clare Boomer at
Scion Publishing for their continued support and belief in the project, as well as their guidance
during the publishing process.
We are also indebted to the students who have kindly provided us with valuable feedback over
the last year, and this has no doubt tremendously improved the finished article. Special thanks
go to all of the following: Trishan Bali, Clare Boyle, Fraser Brown, Marcus Cabrera-Dandy,
Stephanie Callaghan, Wei-Yee Chan, Ben Dallyn, Naomi Foster, Giles Goatly, Katherine
Hurndall, Anna Kane, Jane Lim, Prasanna Partha Sarathy, Henry Roscoe, Sushant Saluja,
Sandip Samanta, Alex Scott, Nick Smith, Rupert Smith, Charan Thandi, Hannah Theobald,
Daniah Thomas, Sayinthen Vivekanantham, David Walker, Rachel Wamboldt and Philip Wright.
Last, but certainly not least, the authors wish to especially thank their families, friends, and
long-suffering better halves for their unconditional support and encouragement throughout the
writing process.
