A new research supports the involvement of electrocardiogram tests in the pre-participation exams for athletes, so as to better identify cardiac abnormalities that may lead to sudden cardiac death.
Jonathan Drezner, MD, President of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM), along with a team of researchers from the University of Washington, will present their results from a recent study that was commissioned by the NCAA, entitled, "Electrocardiographic Screening in NCAA Athletes: A Multicenter Feasibility Trial in Division I Programs" this Friday at the AMSSM 22nd Annual Meeting in San Diego, Calif. Their prospective, multicenter trial screened 2,471 male and female athletes from 14 NCAA Division I universities. In order to be eligible for the trial, athletes could not have received an ECG screening in the past. A total of seven (0.28%) athletes were diagnosed with serious cardiac disorders, all of which had abnormal ECGs and only two of which had an abnormal history or physical exam. Notably, 4 athletes were upperclassmen who underwent prior screening by history and physical exam alone but were not identified as having a disorder at risk for SCD.
How Much Should Athletes Drink?
If you're going to exercise today, be careful how much fluid you drink. Too much fluid before, during or after exercise can have a potentially fatal
If you're going to exercise today, be careful how much fluid you drink. Too much fluid before, during or after exercise can have a potentially fatal
Results support that ECG screening in NCAA athletes is feasible, has a low false-positive rate, and provides superior accuracy compared to a standardized history and physical exam to detect athletes with potentially dangerous cardiovascular conditions. This study also applied new international consensus standards for ECG interpretation - an important component that minimized false-positive results.
Dr. Drezner is a Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington, and Associate Director of the Sports Medicine Fellowship. Additionally he serves as team physician for the University of Washington and the Seattle Seahawks.
Co-authors of the research are David Owens, MD, Jordan Prutkin, MD, MHS, Jack Salerno, MD, Hank Pelto, MD, Shelley Prosise, David Hadley, PhD, Victor Froelicher, MD, Doug Aukerman, MD, Robert Baker, MD, Casey Batten, MD, Jaclyn Brown, MD, Jeff Bytomski, DO, Jay Clugston, MD, Ron Courson, ATC, John DiFiori, MD, Andrew Gregory, MD, Gene Hannah, MD, Kimberly Harmon, MD, Katie Miller, MD, John O''Kane, MD, Clifton Page, MD, Stephen Paul, MD, Sourav Poddar, MD, Ashwin Rao, MD, Fred Reifsteck, MD, and Greg Skaggs, MD.
ECG Screening Would Not Prevent Sudden Death in Athletes
Even with 12-lead ECGs, the risk of cardiovascular sudden death was very small and only about 30% of the incidence were due to diseases that could be reliably detected by pre-participation screening.
Even with 12-lead ECGs, the risk of cardiovascular sudden death was very small and only about 30% of the incidence were due to diseases that could be reliably detected by pre-participation screening.
About the AMSSM Annual Meeting: The conference features lectures and research addressing the most challenging topics in sports medicine today including prevention of sudden cardiac death, concussion, biologic therapies and other controversies facing the field of sports medicine. More than 1,400 sports medicine physicians from across the United States and 10 countries around the world are attending the meeting.
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