Preparticipation Screening for Cardiovascular Abnormalities in Athletes

Revised recommendations from the American Heart Association do not support routine use of electrocardiograms.

In 2006, Italian researchers suggested that sudden cardiac death in young athletes could be reduced by a preparticipation cardiovascular screening program that included a physical examination and a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG; Journal Watch Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine Nov 29 2006). ECGs are abnormal in more than 90% of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which causes about one third of sudden deaths in athletes. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) both advocate a screening program for competitive athletes that includes a 12-lead ECG.

In response to the recommendations of the IOC and the ESC, and in part because of the Italian study, the American Heart Association (AHA) recen…

Reviewing Author

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)