A Review of the Second Edition of SCAI Interventional Cardiology Board Review, Edited by Morton J. Kern

Interventional cardiology is a dynamic field with continuous advances being made in every aspect, extending from medications, to procedural techniques, and new devices. Over the last few years, there has been a paucity of concise and updated reading material to stay appraised of all the recent developments, which is especially important as one prepares for the Interventional Cardiology Board examination. 

The second edition of the SCAI Interventional Cardiology Board Review follows its prior edition after almost 7 years. This updated review comes at a perfect time, and is an excellent resource for interventional cardiology board exam preparation. 

The book is 500 pages long and is divided into chapters written by experts in their respective fields. Excellence in editing is apparent with consistency in formatting throughout the book, with plenty of figures and tables, making it an easy read with the ability for quick referencing.

Topics are divided into 9 sections, including: 

1. Basic science and pharmacology
2. Fundamentals of interventions 
3. Equipment 
4. Stable and acute coronary syndrome PCI 
5. High risk PCI and complex angiographic subsets
6. Vascular access and hemostasis 
7. PCI patient management 
8. Peripheral vascular disease and interventions
9. Structural heart disease and interventions. 

This organization of topics is new compared to the prior edition, and is done in an effort to include all the topics relevant to interventional cardiology board exam preparation. For each topic, in addition to the background information including basic science and landmark trials, the most recent clinical trials and practice guidelines are also included. There are more than 350 illustrations and several tables, which makes reading easy. Personally, I also like the fact that at the end of each topic there is a summary/conclusion section that is followed by several key learning points. 

Another additional feature is access to the online supplement, which includes an electronic book format of the book and about 200 review questions. These questions are again organized by topic, but can also be taken in a test-based format if desired. 

Depending on individual preference, an additional question bank for interventional cardiology board review preparation may be needed, but the supplementary review questions section that comes with this book is a good start.

 In summary, the second edition of SCAI Interventional Cardiology Board Review, edited by Morton J. Kern, is a product of thoughtful planning and collaboration. For interventional cardiology fellows, it provides a concise overview of all the relevant topics, with emphasis on current clinical trials and guidelines. For the experienced interventional cardiologist, this review is an excellent resource to update their existing knowledge base with recent developments in the field.