health

ECG screens for young athletes don’t prevent sudden deaths

NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted March 25, 2013

Print  |   Email  |   Respond  |   Reprints  |   Like Facebook  |   Share Twitter  |   Tweet Linkedin

Sudden death in young athletes due to cardiovascular disease will not be prevented by giving everyone in that population an electrocardiography screen, as some medical experts have suggested, researchers say. The findings were presented March 10 at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions.

Researchers examined the forensic case records of the U.S. National Registry of Sudden Death in Athletes from 1986 to 2011. They assessed deaths among Minnesota high school athletes (link).

During that study period, there were more than 4.44 million high school sports participants in the state. Researchers found that 13 sudden deaths occurred in Minnesota high school athletes related to physical exertion. Of those deaths, seven were during competition and six were during practice. The most common sports involved in sudden death were basketball, cross-country running and wrestling.

An autopsy documented cardiac causes of death in seven of the 13 fatalities. In only four athletes (which is equivalent to 1 in 1 million sports participants) could the responsible cardiovascular diseases be reliably detected by history, a physical exam or a standard ECG screen, the researchers said.

They said the “very low event rate” doesn’t warrant changing the current national screening strategy. Currently, high school athletes’ health is assessed by a medical professional during a physical exam and a review of the individual’s clinical history.

Back to top


ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISE HERE


Featured
Read story

Confronting bias against obese patients

Medical educators are starting to raise awareness about how weight-related stigma can impair patient-physician communication and the treatment of obesity. Read story


Read story

Goodbye

American Medical News is ceasing publication after 55 years of serving physicians by keeping them informed of their rapidly changing profession. Read story


Read story

Policing medical practice employees after work

Doctors can try to regulate staff actions outside the office, but they must watch what they try to stamp out and how they do it. Read story


Read story

Diabetes prevention: Set on a course for lifestyle change

The YMCA's evidence-based program is helping prediabetic patients eat right, get active and lose weight. Read story


Read story

Medicaid's muddled preventive care picture

The health system reform law promises no-cost coverage of a lengthy list of screenings and other prevention services, but some beneficiaries still might miss out. Read story


Read story

How to get tax breaks for your medical practice

Federal, state and local governments offer doctors incentives because practices are recognized as economic engines. But physicians must know how and where to find them. Read story


Read story

Advance pay ACOs: A down payment on Medicare's future

Accountable care organizations that pay doctors up-front bring practice improvements, but it's unclear yet if program actuaries will see a return on investment. Read story


Read story

Physician liability: Your team, your legal risk

When health care team members drop the ball, it's often doctors who end up in court. How can physicians improve such care and avoid risks? Read story

  • Stay informed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • LinkedIn