This basic text on the heart and heart diseases is geared to everyone on the cardiovascular care team, including emergency personnel, interns, residents, nurses, patients, and families. The thoroughly updated Second Edition describes current technologies for noninvasive diagnosis and treatment of coronary and vascular disease. Coverage includes a complete description of echocardiographic stress testing and new information on implanted defibrillators, indications for coronary arteriography, new drugs for heart failure, new cardiac resuscitation procedures, and use of ventricular synchronizing pacemakers. Also included are discussions of recently discovered lethal entities such as Brugada's syndrome, short QT syndrome, and the arrhythmogenic ventricle.