Foreword

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In the past half century a technical revolution has greatly affected the science and art used in the clinical practice of medicine. The good news is the increased longevity and better quality of life for many individuals with one or more disease states. The bad news is the inadequate access to appropriate diagnosis and treatment for an increasing number of patients and the high cost involved when high technology is substituted for less costly methods in patients who do not need unnecessary expensive tests.

This is particularly true in patients with suspected or definite cardiovascular disease where highly technical techniques are often used in place of an accurate history and physical examination as the initial approach.

In this month's Current Problems in Cardiology, Dr. Michael Chizner, an excellent broad-based cardiologist, and a product of the prestigious W. Proctor Harvey cardiology training program, as well as a clinical professor of medicine at four universities in Florida, contributes a superb monograph on the “lost art of cardiac auscultation.” He provides the reader with many “nuggets of knowledge” using innovative illustrations originating with Proctor Harvey to emphasize important facts. I am honored and pleased to be a guest editor of this “unique gem” on cardiac auscultation.