ECG References

There are thousands of ECG resources out there. These are the ones that we have found most useful. Start at the top and work your way down! The perfect compliment to our ECG Library.

Electronic Resources

Beginner

These resources will cover all the ECG basics that you need to know. 

Best Introductory Resource:

The BMJ’s “ABC of Clinical Electrocardiography” Series:

Advanced

These advanced ECG blogs will take you to the next level of ECG interpretation. 

Books

Beginner

  • The ECG Made Easy by John R. Hampton
  • The classic introductory text to ECG interpretation!
  • 150 ECG Problems by John R. Hampton
  • Test your knowledge with 150 assorted ECGs of varying difficulty.

Intermediate to Advanced

  • ECGs for the Emergency Physician by Amal Mattu and William Brady
  • The best ECG book ever published! (except for maybe Part II…). 
  • Contains 200 advanced ECG problems covering a wide range of Emergency Department topics, all backed up by great explanations and pearls of wisdom. 
  • Reading this book from cover to cover is the single most useful thing that you can do to improve your ECG interpretation.
  • ECGs for the Emergency Physician 2 by Amal Mattu and William Brady
  • Another must-have book by the masters of Emergency ECG interpretation. 
  • Another 200 advanced ECG problems to test your mettle.
  • ECG in Emergency Medicine and Acute Care by Theodore Chan, William Brady, Richard Harrigan, Joseph Ornato, Peter Rosen
  • This is the recommended text for the FACEM and contains a huge amount of information on Emergency ECG interpretation presented in a logical and clinically relevant fashion. 
  • Advanced ECG: Boards and Beyond by Brendan P. Phibbs
  • This is a more advanced text for those of you wishing to take your ECG interpretation to the next level.

Reference Texts

  • Chou’s Electrocardiography in Clinical Practice (sixth edition) by Borys Surawicz and Timothy Knilans
  • The bible of ECG interpretation. 
  • Dip into this weighty tome and you will find that it contains the answers to most questions you might have about the humble ECG. 
  • Not one to read from cover to cover though! (unless you are training to be an electrophysiologist)

Other useful ECG references are summarised below

ReferenceComment
EMEDU ECG
Paediatric ECG A great resource on paediatric ECG interpretation by paediatric cardiologist Dr Marion Tipple (she also has a great i-phone app called”Paed ECG”)
ECG made Easy Wiki
ECG ExpertsThis blog is for beginners to experts, to share your knowledge in the art of ECG interpretation & recognition. Jason Winter
ECG Wave MavernECG self-assessment program for clinicians and students. Run by Larry A. Nathanson, M.D., Seth McClennen, M.D., Charles Safran, M.D. and Ary L. Goldberger, M.D. from Harvard
ECG Encyclopaedia
The Jarvik 7This site represents a collection of clinical case studies in electrocardiography. Great Case Library with Links to Extraordinary ECGs
PreHospital 12 Lead ECG
Cardiology Rounds
ECG Learning CenterAuthored by Frank G. Yanowitz, M.D of the University of Utah School of Medicine with ECG image index
ECG LibraryCollection of realistic looking recordings which will help improve your ECG skills. Information about the library and the techniques used to reproduce the recordings is available. Linked to the book ECGs by Example.
Anaesthetic ECG review
Cardiology Network ECG collection

Further Reading

Author Credits

 

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Comments

  1. M Hudson says:

    I think the “Cardiology Network ECG Collection” should be removed from your list of references. As a teaching site, some of the ECGs have far too much artifact to be helpful and if I was trying to read one such ECG, I would do or request another ECG (+/- a long rhythm strip) with less or no artifact for better (more likely accurate) interpretation. The listed ECGs also seem to take their diagnosis from the machine written interpretation, some of which appear to be incorrect. Finally, “Undetermined” or “Ectopic” (which justifies my previous comment) does nothing to help those trying to learn ECGs.
    Regards

    Miriam Hudson

    • Thanks Miriam
      Agreed, it is not the best collection of ECG’s with appropriate labels or even ECG of the highest quality, and therefore not an amazingly good learning resource.
      The positive thing about the collection is the ability to run through a large number of ECG’s, ignore the ‘title’ and the automated drivel that is churned out by the machines and engage only with the central content of the ECG -- I have found this a useful way to run through a large number of spot diagnoses with students, and to directly review the inappropriateness of some fo the automated comments.
      Will leave on the list for others to make up their mind….I think this discussion will assist in the users decision

About Edward Burns

Ed Burns is an Emergency Medicine Registrar, originally from England, but now based in Western Australia. A self-described ECG nerd, Ed is the force behind the ECG library and ECG Exigency series - Read Posts + Edward Burns | Contact