The number of ICD patients is increasing sharply, yet the number of electrophysiologists—physicians who specialize in the electrical system of the heart—is not increasing as dramatically. The result of this influx is that more and more ICD patients are being treated by physicians and staff with little or no ICD training.

There are many fine books on device-based therapy for the heart, but most are written for the experts. Whether you read it from cover-to-cover or use it for reference (or both), it is written primarily with you in mind – for people who are actually involved in the clinical care of these patients.

The Nuts and Bolts of ICD Therapy is specifically written for non-cardiologists. This book is written in a lively intelligent and easy to navigate style. It emphasizes real-life clinical practice and practical tips, including illustrations from actual clinical settings. Each chapter concludes with a checklist of key points from each subject (“Nuts and Bolts”).

Thomas P. Kenny is the primary author of the book, he is the Vice President of Education for St. Jude Medical, a leader in cardiac rhythm management devices. As such, he has developed and collaborated on a wide variety of training and educational materials for physicians, fellows, physician assistants, nurses, and technicians. He is an outstanding presenter with more than 15 years' experience in the electrical management of cardiac rhythms and a thorough understanding of the industry, the key opinion leaders, and its developments over time. He will provide the structure and content of the material.

Mr. Kenny has experienced both sides of training for cardiac rhythm management devices: in his early years, in clinical practice, caring for such patients, and today, as an executive charged with training the many people who use St. Jude Medical products.

Jo Ann LeQuang has worked with Tom Kenny for over ten years and was most recently Director of Communications at St. Jude Medical. She now owns LeQ Medical Communications based in Angleton, Texas. Jo Ann writes a regular medical column for a local Texas paper, translated Berndt Luderitz's book A History of the Disorders of Cardiac Rhythm (from German into English, 1995), and writes regularly for HMP Publications (medical magazines, newsletters, journals).