The first invasive evaluation of cardiac arrhythmias in humans was performed in 1967 in Paris (Prof. P. Coumel) and Amsterdam (Prof. D. Durrer). This was the start of a rapid increase in our knowledge of the diagnosis, mechanism and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. In that same year Prof. Hein J.J. Wellens became cardiologist in the Wilhelmina Gasthuis in Amsterdam. Initially in Amsterdam (1967-1977) and later on in Maastricht (from 1977), he was the driving force for many breakthroughs in clinical cardiac electrophysiology. With an active interplay between the knowledge derived from the 12-lead electrocardiogram and the recordings made with invasive electrophysiology, he composed new ideas leading to major contributions in clinical cardiac electrophysiology and, more generally, in arrhythmology. He published over 650 scientific papers and 14 books, and had numerous functions within scientific boards of prestigious journals. In addition he trained more than 120 cardiologists in clinical cardiac electrophysiology. On the occasion of the congress `2000, Future of Arrhythmology: Lessons From the Past, Promises For Tomorrow', we highlight the scientific work of Prof. Hein J.J. Wellens. A selection of more than 60 articles over the whole time span has been selected. These articles are accompanied by comments from an expert, co-worker and/or former fellow in order to place the paper in a scientific time frame, including the relationship of the author with Prof. Hein J.J. Wellens.

This volume reviews current and potential future therapies for arrhythmias. It is a highly practical guide for the use of pharmaceuticals in the management of the discipline, and has been written in a simple quick-access format. Antiarrhythmic Drugs builds on the current understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms and insights gained from previous studies of therapeutic interventions. It is designed to establish the baseline level of knowledge that a cardiovascular professional needs to know on a day-to-day basis.

"This publication presents a series of practical applications of different Soft Computing techniques to real-world problems, showing the enormous potential of these techniques in solving problems"--Provided by publisher.

As arrhythmias may be transient in nature and not seen during the shorter recording times of the standard ECG, ECG Holter monitoring allows the physician to make better informed decisions for the cardiac patient. The devices are worn by patients on an outpatient basis for days or weeks and can also be implanted subcutaneously. ECG Holter recordings are especially useful since they can be programmed individually for activation and specific tracing analysis. Designed for rapid study, this book contains 100 illustrative cases in ECG Holter monitoring. Each case consists of a tracing followed by a brief explanation of the findings. 100 Cases in ECG Holter is the perfect resource for busy physicians looking to optimize their skills at interpreting ECG Holter readings.

Following the structure and format of the ESC core syllabus, this text introduces key concepts in the field of cardiovascular medicine.

In the last 15 years we have had the opportunity to teach Electrocardiography to many different types of student: doctors preparing to become cardiologists, cardiologists attending weekly 'refresher' sessions at our hospital, general practitioners who wish to become adept at electrocardiography and attend our yearly courses and, finally, the medical students of the Universidad Aut6noma of Barcelona. We cover everything with these students from the basics of electrophysiology to applied electrocardiographic semiology. This quadruple experience has proved stimulating, constantly motivating the search for better and more precise material, and the most appropriate didactic presentation for each type of student, each of whom has different requirements. I have always felt that didactic capability is not related to the intelligence of the professor, or to the amount of knowledge this person possesses, but really depends on the 'quality' of this knowledge, the 'desire' to transmit it and the 'capacity' to adapt to each teaching situation.