ECG Quick Notes: From Beginner to Expert — Book by Dr Thirugnanam

Why I wrote this book

Every year I meet capable doctors who are quietly unsure of their ECGs. They have read the big textbooks; what they lack is a compact, ordered reference they can return to between patients. This book fills that gap, building from first principles to the patterns that trip up experienced clinicians.

A ladder from basics to expert

Rung one — fundamentals: electrophysiology, lead placement, the normal ECG, axis and chamber enlargement.

Rung two — conduction: sinus node disease, AV block, bundle branch and fascicular blocks.

Rung three — rhythm: atrial fibrillation and flutter, supraventricular tachycardias, ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation, paced rhythms.

Rung four — ischaemia and mimics: STEMI, NSTEMI, pericarditis, pulmonary embolism and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Rung five — the expert patterns: electrolyte and drug effects, Brugada syndrome, long QT and Wolff–Parkinson–White.

Chapters carry recognition tips, algorithms, clinical pearls and common pitfalls.

Who I had in mind

Residents and fellows, emergency and ICU clinicians, physicians in outpatient practice, and candidates revising for DM Cardiology, DNB, MD, MRCP, USMLE, PLAB and similar examinations.

The book at a glance

Questions readers ask me

Should I read this or The ECG Masterclass first?

Start here for the structured foundation, then practise on the 140 tracings in The ECG Masterclass.

Is it suitable for nurses and students?

Yes. The early chapters assume no prior ECG knowledge.

Does it cover inherited arrhythmia syndromes?

Yes — Brugada, long QT and pre-excitation have their own sections.