Crash Course – your effective every-day study companion PLUS the perfect antidote for exam stress! Save time and be assured you have the essential information you need in one place to excel on your course and achieve exam success.

A winning formula now for over 25 years, having sold over 1 million copies and translated in over 8 languages, each series volume has been fine-tuned and fully updated with a full-colour layout tailored to make your life easier. Especially written by senior students or junior doctors – those who understand what is essential for exam success – with all information thoroughly checked and quality assured by expert Faculty Advisers, the result is books that exactly meet your needs and you know you can trust.

Each chapter guides you succinctly through the full range of curriculum topics in the UKMLA syllabus, integrating clinical considerations with the relevant basic science and avoiding unnecessary or confusing detail. A range of text boxes help you get to the hints, tips and key points you need fast! A fully revised self-assessment section matching the latest exam formats is included to check your understanding and aid exam preparation. The accompanying enhanced, downloadable eBook completes this invaluable learning package.

Series volumes have been honed to meet the requirements of today’s medical students, although the range of other health students and professionals who need rapid access to the essentials of cardiology will also love the unique approach of Crash Course. Whether you need to get out of a fix or aim for a distinction Crash Course is for you!

Crash Course Cardiology comprehensively covers cardiology in the medical curriculum, integrating new developments and treatment guidelines. Notably, heart failure management and new guidelines on hypertension, DVLA driving, and adult life support/resuscitation have been incorporated into the content. A new chapter on vascular disease has been introduced, covering aortic, pulmonary, mesenteric, and peripheral vascular conditions, acknowledging their overlap with cardiac disease presentations


Key Features
Fully aligned to UKMLA requirements, with key ‘conditions’ and ‘presentations’ highlighted in handy checklists - save valuable revision time and be confident you have the syllabus covered
Written by senior students and recent graduates - those closest to what is essential for exam success
Quality assured by leading Faculty Advisors - ensures complete accuracy of information
Features the ever popular 'Hints and Tips' boxes and other useful aide-mémoires - distilled wisdom from those in the know
Updated self-assessment section matching the latest exam formats – confirm your understanding and improve exam technique fast

Author Information
By Jasmine Shen, MBChB, Junior Doctor, Edinburgh, UK; Thomas Foster, MBChB, BMedSci (Hons), Junior Doctor, Edinburgh, UK; David E Newby, BA, BSc (Hons), PhD, BM, DM, DSc, MRCP, FRSE, FMedSci, FESC, FACC, British Heart Foundation John Wheatley Chair of Cardiology, University of Edinburgh, UK and Philip Xiu, MA (Cantab) MB BChir MRCP MRCGP MScClinEd FHEA MAcadMEd RCPathME, GP Registrar, Yorkshire Deanery, Leeds, UK.

Series editor’s foreword v
Prefaces vi
Acknowledgement vii
Series editor’s acknowledgement viii
Rapid UKMLA Index ix

Section 1 The basics 1
1 Cardiac anatomy, physiology and development 3

Why do we need a cardiovascular system? 3
Anatomy of the heart and great vessels 3
Development of the heart and great vessels 11

2 The cardiac cycle, control of cardiac output and
haemodynamic regulation 15
Cardiac electrophysiology 15
The cardiac cycle 19
Control of cardiac output 22
Haemodynamics and vascular function 24
Integrated control of the cardiovascular system
and cardiovascular reflexes 27

3 ECG interpretation 35
The electrocardiogram 35
Presenting an ECG 39

4 Other cardiac investigations 41
Common cardiac blood tests 41
Exercise ECG 41
Echocardiography 43
Computed tomography coronary angiography 45
Cardiac magnetic resonance 46
Cardiac catheterization 46
Radionuclide imaging 47

Section 2 Presenting complaints 49

5 History and examination of the cardiovascular system 51
History 51
Clinical examination 51
Cardiovascular examination summary 57

6 Chest pain 59
Differential diagnosis 59
History 59
Examination 61
Investigations 62
New onset central chest pain at rest in an ill patient 64

7 Breathlessness and peripheral oedema 67
Differential diagnosis 67
History 67
Examination 69
Investigation 70
Recent onset dyspnoea at rest in an ill patient 72

8 Palpitations 75
Differential diagnosis 75
History 75
Examination 76
Investigations 78
Palpitations in the unwell patient 80

9 Syncope 83
Differential diagnosis of syncope 83
History 83
Examination 85
Investigations 86
Reflex (neurally mediated) syncope 87
Syncope of recent onset in the unwell patient 87
Driving regulations in syncopal patients 89

10 Heart murmurs 91
Differential diagnosis 91
History 91
Examination 93
Investigations 95
Presenting your findings 98

Section 3 Clinical conditions 101

11 Atherosclerosis and its risk factors 103
Pathogenesis of atherosclerosis 103
Classification of ischaemic heart disease 104
Risk factors for atherosclerosis 107
Risk prediction and primary prevention of ischaemic
heart disease 107
Lipids and the cardiovascular system 108
Hypertension 111

12 Stable angina and acute coronary syndromes 123
Stable angina 123
Acute coronary syndromes 129
13 Heart failure 139
Pathophysiology of heart failure 139
Clinical features 141
Investigations 143
Management 145

14 Arrhythmias 151
Bradyarrhythmias 151
Supraventricular tachyarrhythmias 156
Ventricular arrhythmias 164
Antiarrhythmic drugs 169
Algorithms for management of arrhythmias 170
Cardiac arrest and resuscitation 171

15 Valvular disease 179
Rheumatic heart disease 179
Aortic stenosis 180
Aortic regurgitation 183
Mitral stenosis 185
Mitral regurgitation 188
Tricuspid disease 190
Pulmonary disease 192
Assessing the severity of a valve lesion 192
Prosthetic heart valves 192
Infective endocarditis 194

16 Diseases of the myocardium and pericardium 203
Diseases of the myocardium 203
Diseases of the pericardium 208

17 Congenital heart disease 213
Causes of congenital heart disease 213
Complications of congenital heart disease 214
Pregnancy risk assessment 215
Congenital defects with left-to-right shunts 215
Congenital defects with right-to-left shunts 219
Obstructive congenital defects 221
Other lesions in congenital heart disease 222

18 Vascular disease 225
Arterial disease 225
Venous disease 237

Self-Assessment 241
UKMLA High Yield Association Table 243
UKMLA Single Best Answer (SBA) Questions 249
UKMLA SBA Answers 263
OSCEs and Short Clinical Cases 277
Glossary 301
Index