Volume 48, Issue 1, Book review
Congenital Heart Diseases in Adults
A monograph “Congenital Heart Diseases in Adults“ by Tamara Kovačević – Preradović and coauthors Mirko Stantić, Peđa Kovačević and Bojan Stanetić sheds new light on this important health and social issue which hasnot been assessed in Serbian language in such a concise way. The authors from the University Clinical Center Banja Luka have explained pathology, pathophysiology, symptoms, signs, diagnostic tests, as well as treatment of such anomalies in a very concise and systematic way.
Congenital hears anomalies are usually the field of interest of pediatric cardiologists, if such anomalies are diagnosed at all during childhood, since very often, they can be diagnosed and become important health issue later in life. In that case, the care of such adult patients is the field of interest of adult cardiologists.
We are witnessing phenomenal technological and scientific advances in cardiology which have allowed such conditions to be diagnosed and adequately treated. The book has a lot of illustrations collected during every day work at the Cardiology Clinic of the University Clinical Center, which is a handy indicator of the high scientific and medical standards of the Institution. Practically, all conditions which have been described in the book have appropriate ultrasound or radiological imaging, as well as other necessary ancillary test with excellent explanation of each illustration or diagram. Since the authors have used their own material, experience and knowledge from their patients, it is not surprising that the explanations for each anomaly have been done in such an easy-tounderstand way.
Therefore, for the keen reader, it is going to be much easier to get necessary knowledge from such a specific field.
Even superficial review of the monograph can show how concisely and systematically the topic is divided in chapters, from simple heart anomalies through complex ones, pulmonary hypertension, Eisenmenger syndrome, other pulmonary manifestations and heart rhythm disturbances in these patients. It is especially important that the pregnancy and practicing sports in adults with congenital heart disease have been described in separate chapters. Neatly sorted references at the end of each chapter are price worthy. The book has sufficiently comprehensive index which allows even easier usage and navigation when necessary information is needed.
The monograph “Congenital Heart Defects in Adults” is mostly intended for cardiologists and gynecologists, sport medicine specialists, pediatricians, internists and family physicians and can be of great help in understanding the complex issues of monitoring and treatment of these patients.
Prof. Dr Bosiljka Vujisić Tešić
